As California moves toward a formal ban on driverless commercial trucks, eight states’ departments of transportation have united to launch AccelerateAV.org.
This free online forum provides a space for public and private sector autonomous vehicle (AV) stakeholders to share information and collaborate on activities.
The AV Pooled Fund, which comprises DOTs from Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia, initiated this project in 2020 to align the industry’s needs with state DOTs’ capabilities.
“Autonomous trucks – and freight/logistics –are very much part of the conversation for the site,” said Tara Andringa, executive director of 501(c)(3) nonprofit Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE). PAVE is a coalition of industry, nonprofits, and academics with a goal of bringing the conversation about AVs to the public in an educational role, not advocating for a particular technology or specific public policies. “We see a great need for public/private sector collaboration on the issue — and… developments in California are illustrative of that point. This group of states recognized that they are all looking at similar issues, so they decided to pool resources to answer these questions. Essentially, they want to know what states can do to best support these new technologies and this new industry.”
As automated vehicles become more prevalent, states are grappling with important considerations: What infrastructure changes must be made? What adjustments are necessary for licensing and law enforcement? To address these concerns and foster optimal conditions for AV technology, the AV Pooled Fund is working on solutions.
A report commissioned by a collective of state DOTs will identify the best ways for states to support AV technologies.
“One of the recommendations of the report is that there is a need for better communication and collaboration between industry and the public sector,” Andringa said. “The purpose of the forum… is to provide a vehicle for that communication.”
The platform allows users to connect and collaborate with other users, search for like-minded individuals, share news and events, or participate in events and discussions.
Source: CCJDigital
