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Strategies to Advance Automated and Connected Vehicles: Briefing Document CONTENTS AVs and CVs are coming. Why should I care? .................................................................................1 Technology Context ............................................................................................................................2 Regulatory Context .............................................................................................................................3 How AVs and CVs Could Lead to Positive Societal Outcomes ............................................3 Foundational Research: Social Welfare and Market Economics ........................................6 Importance of Strategic Goals .........................................................................................................8 High-Level Summaries of Policy and Planning Strategies ..................................................8 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................... 10 Policy Strategy Summaries ................................................................................................................. 12
Cover photos, L to R: 1000 Words/Shutterstock.com; jamesteohart/Shutterstock.com Sebastian Duda/Shutterstock.com, Chatchai Kritsetsakul/Shutterstock.com. Briefing Document This briefing document concisely conveys the key findings of NCHRP Research Report 845: Advancing Automated and Connected Vehicles: Policy and Planning Strategies for State and Local Transportation Agencies. The research report and briefing document were created, and the research behind the report was conducted, under NCHRP Project 20-102 (01) by Texas A&M Transportation Institute, RAND Coproration, and Southwest Research Institute (please see NCHRP Research Report 845 for full authorship and publication information). NCHRP Research Report 845 NCHRP Research Report 845 assesses policy and planning strategies at the state, regional, and local levels that could influence private-sector automated vehicle (AV) and connected vehicle (CV) choices to positively affect societal goals. The researchers identified and described mis- matches between potential societal impacts and factors that influence private-sector decisions on CV and AV technologies. Policy and planning actions that might better align these interests were then identified. Researchers and the project oversight panel identified the promising actions and then conducted in-depth evaluations of the feasibility, applicability, and impacts of 18 strategies. NCHRP Research Report 845 can be purchased or downloaded from the TRB website (www.trb.org). Acknowledgment This work was sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, and was conduct- ed in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), which is administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Disclaimer The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this material are those of the researchers who performed the research. They are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the Academies, or the program sponsors. ©2017 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
1AVS AND CVS ARE COMING. WHY SHOULD I CARE? Private companies producing automated vehicles (AVs) and connected vehicles (CVs) are investing billions in a race to market. New consumer products promise to fix intractable transportation challeng- es and make our lives easier. New business models in mobility are introducing market-based services and transforming travel behavior. Vehicles that are increasingly automated and connected have the potential to change personal, freight, and public transportation profoundly. Some impacts of those vehicles can be foreseen, others are uncertain, and all are complex. The benefits to consumers are tangible and immense, but what about society writ large? Social benefits for safety, congestion, emissions, and mobility seem intuitive. At the same time, it is unclear to what degree these issues will be addressed through new vehicle technologies and to what extent these technologies pose risks to public safety, security, health and social equity. Technology will solve some problems, but could also create new ones. Disruption is upon us. As a public official, how will I respond? The transportation industry has moved gradually and deliberately forward since the introduction of the modern highway system. New ideas emerge methodically; standards are fine-tuned and evolve at a measured pace. Transportation projects can take a decade or more to implement. On the other hand, the start-up culture moves nimbly, fails quickly, and learns rapidly. Vehicle technology is advancing at a startling, uncontrolled pace. The transportation community can choose to wait and react. Or, decision makers can reframe the conventional public policy discussion to responsibly and assertively advance AV and CV technologies in light of social interests, adopting the principles of rapid learning and shared knowledge creation. This document helps decision makers assess and leverage the policy tools they have and consider how to align traditional public policy interests with rapidly emerging AV and CV technologies, even amid a high level of uncertainty. Nolte Lourens/Shutterstock.com
