Automated Vehicles and the Built Environment: An Interactive Workshop
Instructor: Caroline Rodier, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis (ITS-Davis)
Automated vehicle technology holds the potential to revolutionize mobility. How and when this revolution might take place is subject to uncertainties related to technological feasibility, consumer perceptions, and institutional barriers. Anticipating how automated vehicle technology might affect and interact with our physical, natural, and social systems may help transportation professionals develop strategies to integrate automated vehicle technology into our transportation systems to support broad social and community goals. In response to this changing transportation world, ITS-Davis worked closely with Caltrans to develop and deliver a one-day workshop to California Department of Transportation staff. Two workshops were held in May 2016, one in Sacramento at Caltrans Headquarters and another at Caltrans District 12 Office in Irvine.
The goal of the training was to present an overview of automated vehicle technology and provide a hands-on experience with the application of automated vehicle systems. To ensure a common baseline of knowledge among workshop participants, Dr. Rodier presented an introduction to automated vehicles followed by an expert panel discussion of automated vehicle issues faced by California agencies. Participants then broke into small groups to develop and examine different future scenarios with automated vehicle technology. Following the exercise, Dr. Rodier summarized key issues presented in the scenarios, including those concerned with technology, institutional barriers, travel and land use effects, and planning issues.