On Tuesday, March 25, the City of Austin held its second annual autonomous vehicle (AV) stakeholder meeting. The event gathered city, state, and federal transportation officials, AV companies, first responders, transit organizations, mobility and accessibility advocates, and university researchers. The focus was on discussing the current state of AV deployments in Austin and planning future steps to improve safety within the city's mobility ecosystem.
Four AV companies—Volkswagen ADMT, Tesla, Waymo, and Zoox—showcased their vehicles at the meeting. Two panels were also part of the event: "Crowd Control: Ensuring Pedestrian Safety during Special Events" and "Sustainability and AVs: A Look Ahead."
The City of Austin aims to maximize the benefits of emerging technologies through collaboration with stakeholders as part of its Strategic Mobility Plan. Although Texas cities cannot regulate AVs directly, Austin has partnered with AV companies entering the market to provide insights into the local transportation network for safer operations.
Austin's AV Safety Working Group comprises representatives from various departments including Transportation and Public Works, Police, Fire, EMS, and the Airport. This group collaborates with AV companies to share procedural information, facilitate training for first responders and AV firms, and collect data on AV deployments in Austin.
Further details about Autonomous Vehicle operations in Austin are available at AustinTexas.gov/page/autonomous-vehicles.
Information from this article can be found here.