Boston selected as focus city to study self-driving vehicles
The World Economic Forum chose Boston to launch a new program to look into the future of mobility.
On Wednesday, Mayor Marty Walsh, in conjunction with the Boston Transportation Department and the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, announced that the World Economic Forum has selected Boston as a focus city to study autonomous vehicles.
The new initiative will be a year-long collaboration with the intent of advancing the Go Boston 2030 goals. Go Boston 2030 is a plan to improve access to transportation, increase sustainable transportation, continue improving the economy, and make transit safer.
At the end of the year-long study, the City of Boston would like to have contributed specific autonomous vehicle policy recommendations, and also to have created an on-street testing system for self-driving cars.
“Boston’s collaboration with the World Economic Forum represents our commitment to creating a safe, reliable and equitable mobility plan for Boston’s residents. We are focused on the future of our city and how we safely move people around while providing them with reliable mobility choices,’’ Walsh said in a statement. “With our start-ups and educational institutions, Boston is a leader in technology, robotics and innovation. Together with our partners, we know the City of Boston is ready to lead the charge on this transformative technology.’’
Previous research has found that autonomous vehicles have the potential to reduce road fatalities by 90 percent.
Along with working with the World Economic Forum over the next year, the City of Boston will also collaborate with The Boston Consulting Group, other international cities, and mobility industry leaders, according to the mayor’s statement.
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