Autonomous Vehicles and the Future of Transportation
This semester I enrolled in Autonomous Vehicles and Local Government . Our class is divided into 15 groups, each with a different focus, and each group must develop policy recommendations and legal language for Boston by the end of the semester. My group focuses on how Boston can use its curbs and streets to ensure that autonomous vehicles are adopted in a way that furthers Boston’s stated goals of decreasing climate emissions and making its transportation system more equitable. Over the course of the semester, the class engaged with weekly readings, videos, and guest lecturers, culminating in short responses. My eight responses are compiled below, along with a longer reflection. 1. What are Autonomous Vehicles? Autonomous vehicle technology is under-deployed for narrow uses. There are still serious engineering and marketing problems impeding widespread commercialization of autonomous vehicles. First, sensor costs are still rather high. TheHUB video posited that fully auto...