Officials with the Alliance for Transportation Innovation (ATI21.org), a consortium of transportation technology innovators, today announced plans for a coast-to-coast autonomous vehicle road trip to help spread the word about the technology.
The “AV Road Trip,” beginning later this month in Atlanta, announced at a news conference held in conjunction with the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, will bring self-driving technology directly to the public in cities across America. “There is no doubt that when it comes to self-driving vehicles, seeing is believing,” said Paul Brubaker, president/CEO of ATI21.org.
The Washington, D.C.-based association advocates on behalf of the transportation technology industry to accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies that will reduce traffic deaths, improve the flow of urban commutes, safely deliver goods to market, eliminate human error and improve mobility for the underserved, disabled and elderly.
The first stop on the tour is Atlanta on Jan. 26, followed closely by appearances in New Orleans on Jan. 30; Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 2; Los Angeles, on Feb. 6; and San Jose, Calif. on Feb. 9. EasyMile’s EZ10 driverless shuttle will be featured at every stop, allowing community leaders, invited members of the public and the news media to experience the future of transportation. Additional tour stops will be added throughout the year.
At today’s announcement, Mary E. Peters, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, lauded ATI’s efforts on behalf of autonomous technology and decried regulators for not keeping up with the pace of innovation.
“Vehicles that drive themselves, and systems that make them safe, are being conceived, invented, tested and refined at speeds that would make our heads spin,” said Peters. “Yet the rules that govern the tech intended to make our lives better, our drive safer and our trips quicker, are stuck in time,” Peters added.
“We are working to make sure innovation and its potential to make life easier and our streets safer is not frustrated by red tape and regulation,” said Brubaker.
