Photo source: US DOT
On September 9 and 10, the Transportation Authority was honored to join with the U.S. Department of Transportation to co-host the inaugural Automated Vehicle (AV) Peer Exchange at University of California Law in San Francisco. In coordination with SFMTA, the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management (DEM), and the San Francisco Mayor’s Office, the peer exchange convened approximately100 representatives from federal, state, and local agencies leading AV deployments in their communities.
J.D. Schneeberger from the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office and John Harding of the Federal Highway Administration opened the event, and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and Transportation Authority Chair Myrna Melgar (District 7) provided welcome remarks and local perspectives. Chair Melgar highlighted San Francisco’s experience as an epicenter of AV deployment, and emphasized the importance of AV providers and local agencies working together to promote safety, transparency, access, and good public policy.
The event featured valuable discussions about lessons learned and best practices among cities and states involved in, and planning for, AV deployment as well as presentations on ridehail services, emergency management, transit integration and freight/delivery applications from public agencies, regulators and AV technology providers.
Principal Transportation Planner for Technology Policy Jean Paul Velez joined a panel discussion on robotaxis, sharing lessons learned from local experience, San Francisco policy priorities and the Transportation Authority’s recent Conceptual AV Safety Permitting Framework. DEM Executive Director Mary Ellen Carrol discussed recent operational experience with emergency management / AV interactions and our Assistant Deputy Director for Planning Suany Chough spoke on integrating AVs into transit to improve efficiency, expand access, and address service gaps.
Attendees joined student researchers from UC Berkeley, UC Davis and University of San Francisco at poster sessions and enjoyed Salesforce Transit Center’s rooftop park at a reception sponsored by the Transportation Authority and Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Following the Peer Exchange, attendees toured Contra Costa Transportation Authority's GoMentum Station testing facility for connected and automated vehicles, as well as Waymo’s commercial operations hub.
