With the leading edge of the “Boomer” generation reaching the age of 60 next year, the U.S. is facing a flood of maturing Americans who want and need to maintain their mobility. We have never faced this type of challenge in our history. Forum participants deliberated the following proposed solutions: Acknowledge the issue. The nation seems to be in denial about the massive mobility challenge that we will face. A better understanding of our demographics at the state and regional levels will help the policy debate develop; Realize that the real solutions to this challenge are at the state and local level. The planning to address mobility demands of the elderly must be done on a regional basis, supported by federal initiatives in research, evaluation, and best practice recognition; Improvements in the existing road environments that will help a maturing population will help everyone. Better signage, traffic lights, and pavement markings are win-win investments. They are cost effective in every environment and should be encouraged as part of every Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP); Development of better automobile technology to extend the safe driving of a maturing population is also for the entire population’s benefit. Rear object sensing, forward night imaging, and better dashboard information all help make drivers safer over a longer period of driving; Develop more non-driving options. Transit options can seem both unavailable and unfriendly if they are not developed with a maturing population in mind. Easy access to bus and rail schedules, station and bus stops and route maps benefit everyone, but especially a population that is not easily convinced to use transit. On-demand service providers, in both volunteer programs and full-time staffed organizations, need to be able to provide easy service information and the have ability to custom-design their services to a changing population; Recognize that in many small urban and rural areas, there are few mobility Automated vehicle (AV) technology has the potential to completely change how we travel, how we ship goods, and on a larger scale, how we think about mobility. While fully automated vehicles are not yet commercially available, the technology is developing rapidly and some robotic driving functions are already on public roads today. The governments are under pressure to craft regulations and make investments that encourage innovation while still enhancing safety and protecting the public interest. In 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) developed its Federal Automated Vehicles Policy, the first step in creating a federal AV policy. Meanwhile, thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia have proposed or enacted a variety of AV policies, resulting in a troublesome patchwork of laws and regulations that are often inconsistent. As part of Eno’s Digital Cities program, Eno crafted a multifaceted set of recommendations that address the most pressing policy issues for AVs. If applied and executed properly, these recommendations will help guide this technology towards safe, efficient, and sustainable deployment. AVs are upending the traditional definitions of licensing, liability, and insurance for automobiles. In a future where computers are increasingly responsible for operating cars, determining blame in a car crash has become less clear. In response, Congress should pass legislation allowing NHTSA to create AV system certifications and should support the harmonization of state tort laws that explicitly align liability with the certifications and roles of the automated features and the human driver. For their part, states should create stakeholder working groups to oversee the development of state and local laws. AVs and connected vehicles will be accompanied by a deluge of data and, consequently, the need for an increased focus on cyber-security. NHTSA should explicitly define that the ownership of the vehicle’s data corresponds to the operator of the vehicle. Due to the sensitivity of the data being collected, Congress should explicitly require the AV industry to protect the privacy of vehicle owners. Congress should also define AV developers’ limited liability for crashes that result from a security breach. States and cities should establish data sharing agreements to enhance local transportation planning and operations. Existing infrastructure will also need to be maintained and updated to accommodate AVs. At the state and local level, investments need to be made in in robust “state of good repair” programs that will benefit all users of public roads, regardless of the degree of automation. This poses significant funding barriers for cities and states that may already be struggling to maintain their roads. To help, Congress should develop a per-mile charge fee system for AVs. Increased vehicle connectivity can also maximize the safety and efficiency benefits of AVs. While AVs do not require integration, some experts have suggested that AVs must be connected in order for them to reach their full potential. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should continue to allocate a spectrum of dedicated short range communications channel to enable vehicle connectivity. NHTSA should also continue to work closely with the automotive industry on standards for connected vehicle communications. Federal safety programs are vital for cities and states trying to improve roadway safety. Congress should make the implementation of AV technologies eligible for federal safety programs to improve transportation operations. AV deployment could not only help make driving safer and more efficient but, if deployed under a shared fleet model, could also reduce the environmental impact of driving. Congress should create a federal transportation discretionary grant program that targets projects that meet both environmental and accessibility goals. In the long run, cities, counties, metropolitan planning organizations, and state departments of transportation should consider the potential impacts of AVs on regional transportation systems and include them in their long-range plans. Furthermore, states and cities should consider using pricing structures to mitigate negative externalities of AVs. Because AVs are advancing at such a rapid rate, research investment is critical. While private sector companies have already devoted resources in the development of new technology, governments should fund AV research programs at local universities that explore the wider transportation effects of AVs on the roadway. As the capabilities of AVs continue to develop and saturate the market for vehicles, there is a chance that workers in the maintenance, taxi, and delivery service industries will be gradually replaced. While it is hard to say exactly how automated driving will affect the nation’s workforce, the potential loss of millions of jobs is a threat to social and economic stability. To prepare, governments should work with academic institutions to retrain workers whose jobs are lost to automation. Sound public policy is an essential component in preparing for the eventual deployment of AVs. Accordingly, policymakers must address AVs in a responsible and well-thought out manner that will guide them to their full potential while also maintaining the interests and safety of all road users. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting