, g n i m o c e r a s V A ! The g n i m o c e r a s V A e th S R A C G N I T PLAN I S V I AN R R T E SELF-D ’S LONG-RANG STON O B O T L A CENTR
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s do, how to like human h c u m s? , n s to lear dicable way ach vehicle ions in pre te at u ill it s w d it a e ” ow long nexpect Iagnemm known is, h y CEO Karl deal with u n m u o n ly n To o u e n e yes. Th ut even h ioneer and The gut is, for years, b Robotics p is in Boston h there. g e t n iv e vi g g ri t d h to n has bee g that mig g. take in in th st ry te urs of ve ad e o dict an 230 ho g its on-r couldn’t pre ted more th ause durin le p p le first on dry m , ic o h ar c y ye ve us NuTonom oston this B autonomo in ts g n kness. in e st us te rain and dar mas ornam autonomo ty, later in wide Christ ili tib o s e Park, vi in fo d rar o e u M o the fo L. Flynn d Hardly to b ads with g n k. o ro c m u tr ay There were R a e f o Seaport were th first in the ff the back the busier nfounding Operating that blew o and, later, But also co men a, . e e ry e ar lectric rs u e al liv , o e ri d c d f ie o an indust o modif tw t bikes, the expected, s n y’ e b e cting an s m p o u m c e co uses, th h unsuspe d the re district, th ticulated b e roads wit seagulls an ar th s d uses, r y’ e b e it ar h c lic h rt b e s u s fu s and th dles — all ry trucks, p enault Zoe e R id liv m e n with dollie d , io rd ts co of road s, cyclis rivers, wellgs with ac have plenty , Boston d pedestrian s ly b ar double-lon c ta o g rs. n n vi st s mo ld maneuve at self-dri and, perhap nce and bo evidence th ie and . at xp ak p e e p im w s ir o e el, so to ials will n tr own for th e kn Th . ts yet to trav n re, a human o accide like big ith, as befo ere were n w ses looked Th u y, b it c at t of e th e th ar was in the fron areas of , but these sumption into other eer seated in n the road g “So our as n w s e o t’ d rt “I o o a. g p a sup gnemm that can driver and explains Ia long bricks end in half,” b an . c ar at c .” em the bricks th g the syst the of retrainin rolling out a process cautious in ly make sure e ir to th fa t d n e in an e h w “We’ve b ays. “We ok over be s to a m an w m e m e e.” n u n h y,” Iag eeing thes uation, a mmed the technolog omed to s In each sit ice, progra st ff u o c e ac th e at ar , back that people wheel and m. car’s syste e th to in data engineer urban , typically an ts Go Boston n e m n r AVs in an “So ro a. vi n m e m e w n e g n very first fo Ia e on s th st ay g o s n B ,” o “In those o e g, am ftwar nent of G handle The testin ate the so tral compo e day, it can n e th xt c g e a n has to upd in e is ak t, th n t erday.” med at m environme ar goes ou ible initiative ai handle yest when the c ore access broad city it couldn’t a , at 0 th 3 d 0 n e 2 io st and m e at g u n every it o s n c o at s s le th er, le rgely tegral ro streets saf , indeed, la ly play an in the as ar d h le y an c g s m lo V d o ru A e future. ous techn on standar onomic Fo c th m le E o b in n d la rl to ai o d au W av While at share ies by the creasingly e found th of outlier front. Stud d is even in Group hav ss number g le in arrived, an d lt les off the n lf u ic e e s h s n ly o g ve Boston C , e seemin ercent of hallenge to p c th 0 ’s st 6 it e , to s at p ar rcent, and re u c p to 90 pe ould take oses the g u c p s by at V A th ts n s e , n id rtation situatio e road acc le transpo road, reduc s. to affordab s s y. e c rt driving car e ac ve g o g d p n escape entage, e by improvi individuals e low-perc lp th e f h o y ,” s tl le le d b an to han signific predicta e flexibility “It’s the un e New on’t have th d th f e o w r o at ct th e cases sociate dir “Can we Reimer, as ion Center. at rt says Bryan o p s an Tr y it rs e iv England Un
cluster d a strong ovators, an d n in blic mpanies an sought pu hnology co ls c ia te ic o f s ff o o al y it s, When cit institution g-range rt academic oston’s lon ent suppo g n m vi rn ri input for B -d ve o lf g e s g , n s n ro la st p n as h io e of transportat kable rang people’s ed often in and a remar d street an s n io cars appear her condit on should at st e o B w . ts s. One of n comme fully ns, she say o to ti y it ra c u g t fi n rs n co he fi ies, Bosto become “t s oldest cit us electric a’ o c m ri o e rt n e m to A al ost embrace au their even the m confounds investing in non-linear, s it d h it an vehicles by w m an on-de an drivers m as u t h n e luding m p , in develo layout, c on wrote nse street e n,” one pers d o ti lestone p b o t b o it o o s c tran really sh h narrow, to it t w an as w ing, e u ar yo usly charm adding: “If . It is famo 030 ensure ts 2 e y by re rl , e n st o tt o u for the m r drivers, wing aint, and, fo ters by allo u u q m m o c happy -piloted . infuriating ercent auto only 100 p in n order to o st o B city to ay that the the vehicles in can even s ion, reduce u o st which e “Y , g e n yl o c relieve e traffic pean in st ro at u in E e lim tl e , lit g is a arkin ing,” says nd need for p ore interest nitively bra m fi e it d e ant to ad d m an nly also me y.” fatalities, a. “It certai g global cit ar in b u ad o le in D a g thin Boston as test some that if you er that sf at an th tr st an re c ston you nd of inte o ki B is er cities th th st o a It’s ju not only to gy hub win g lo o in n n h ar c other le te e tes but to helped the tion with th United Sta ra e o th b in lla o c lop yearlong rope.” m to deve cities in Eu nomic Foru n Te . World Eco n la p ly sportation y is the on a smart tran t, nuTonom plied. But ye ap f o y ad s h an A s p rent icle com global citie ion of inhe omous veh at n in to b m au g o in c st Boston’s e-way g on-road te conductin — think on r the — e challenges ic chnology fo d an the city. Te dabouts n in u p was ro tu , ar ts e st to stre illingness dge-based w ri s b it h am it usetts C w e Massach nges, combined loped at th gical challe ve lo e o ere d n h h w c y, te tackle oubara, a Technolog s Xanthi D stitute of . in ay In .D s h , P al e is h id t were consultan a received d m e m e as e n b g th yIa it p, a e directed New York C ulting Grou cs and onc s ti n o o b C ro ty n ili o b Mo with Bost s Robotic . university’ the project has been y an p partner on m o c 6 in Group. The since 201 c live traffi y have in it c g re e in e th h st s w te , e o Singapore Not only d k record” d areas of e ac it tr d lim o o g a “really ty with mobili of working
A NuTonomy self-driving Renault Zoe road testing in Singapore. Photo: nuTonomy
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u e road, as yo t to share th xi company an you ta w e as u , th e yo h o lin it D ered w cars t, or fall in is of cl s d cy re a it has partn h nd it hu would w al is to have deploy a car? Grab. Its go 018, and to 2 would with by te ta -s ty , ci e us o th in tonom even first fully au at’s tricky the world’s mething th ice. so e’re rv is s se “W . hi d ys “T an sa dem to judge,” he mobility-onof t ar for a human p g in a real work wever, that that operating in cautions, ho see things a d s m ul it m co in ne e ill g w Ia st so , lly ty ca ci s ni A e . th y is tech ictable and unpred the compan hase. The be are unique elopment p ev d loyed, it will p y e g ir d e lo is techno making th ss. chnology ce ks te ro ac is p th hb al tc nt e ha an increm d as of small, white ke ng ar hi m et — som period.” h Boston fitted with e a learning way throug es and out There will b cl hi ve n o d e si d vi automat R, radar an tonomous ion of LIDA ulls ued that au ag se a combinat , ty ci e cs have arg ti th ri C alistically ng re ni ar le te in an un ra e — are still p o s e cl ma vehi But Iagnem and all. us manner. io ut the t ca says. should se s that AVs Iagnemma ,” ve nt lie er than re e b th fe ra if is d k fe driving “Every city tend to thin dard for sa e ror human an w ir , st m rs ve to ri g d grammin ical to ro nt “As human p e ir id e is th r ty alte in one ci the dirty that driving behavior. r. But one of he ot e an cl in hi driving mated ve to au e al th in s a sociologic ’s being little secret re’s a bit of ftware that he ce. Human so “T la e p th ke at quire that will ta re space is th nt ill e w m e ri drive e ac xp e in the sp arn how to developed ill have to le to another.” w will ty rs ci rs ve ri ca ne d o e from ng cars. Th adaptation d self drivi ,” he un us o io ar ut ca uch a little more river main very m tend to be fe human d , humans re n, io ut ca of drive as a sa e And for now y is d he si ct e “T fa . th e ys n o Th . Erring design. ced sa in the loop d that’s by as a the car is fa r an ve , ri d ve d ul t ne o n’ w he o d w rs er human drive they take ov scenario. that many d uncertain an w . ne d a ul h o w wit safe driver lly. The car o d e th g these h it orker w programmin rian, Take the w ar a pedest eling is that ne fe t and safe y e ac “M iv to at how a conserv in ? may know ve it ri the d is t to cars sion. That’s rt and wha e right deci but add a ca th tion, is n uc d io re sh fa a great going to get h rd to at ’re e e ha d w d ly ay al an w re s it’s n, of injury ay be io m t at “I in . “Sometime ys lim e sa a or even ,” Iagnemm ,” he says. around understand maneuver the roadway to n t o an w u the case yo and wait.” it, or pause
Before testing on Boston roads, NuTonomy’s self-driving cars drove themselves in Singapore. Photo: nuTonomy
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found riving cars ward self-d to e s th e d to u it le amenab umer att rmed and ology ey on cons n fo h rv in c u s llte e G w C to u B A re far more ularly by a a ic rt rs a e p ld m , u u d o s e ly believ that con aid they w n previous ondents s a p th s y re e g f o lo lik o t n techn sted city , 58 perce In a conge s. Globally m, plenty d vehicle. te executive a m bway syste u to s u a ld o n ra a in e e -y d 9 place the on a 11 accept a ri AVs can re ll depends n ti e s h h w ic y h a d w of a Boston, en dream ts may ev of residen ods, ther. ous taxi p “T” altoge y autonom b d e c la p s re sit system ion, of tran r. a d But this vis ra s ill on the city’ ow they w is nowhere It’s really h r. e th o n e over th e Bosto one mode ioner of th ons, choice of , commiss a c a d ice of opti n o h ia c F “It’s not a a a e in b G ys ys a a s lw will a ther,” is what work toge ton 2030 ent. “There of Go Bos n Departm ls o a ti o a access g rt e e o v p a th s h Tran e would tives and w c je re b e o h e w s th f nities, or : location and one o re opportu bility hubs a o h s m rg a n c lli a il, r ra we are c ther bus o ansit, whe to great tr . s ie opportunit ow, as city bike-share he says. “N s ,” g in it v in are our e city more o we prep f will make th ials, how d ic ff o ialization o c n o o “All those s ti e ansporta re for th a tr p d re n p a e rs w e plann nd how do for that? A roadways tep. ology?” the first s that techn ity roads is c y, tion s a u b re n c ill be the ehicles o lanners, w tomated v p u to a y a le g s n p o t, ti e n ra a p Ope llowing st import platform a r ps the mo a te u rh p . e g p m t in o u n B cure, c ip plan ardized, se into their tr of a stand of transit e d o m ry eve ara. incorporate says Doub e of truth,” rc u ehicles o v s s le u g o be a sin utonom A ill . w it s it , n a ts ip in tr n e public se ridersh “For reside cannibaliz elp increa h to t ill o w n t a is a th , “The ide nd last mile the first a that serve sit.” public tran
al Intermod
Boston officials, including Mayor Marty Walsh, kick off a “visioning lab” session to solicit resident input. Photo: Go Boston/Leise Jones
A sampling of some resident comments Boston received. Photo: Go Boston/ Rafael Cumbas Feliciano
Boston residents give input to the city for its Go Boston 2030 transportation plan. Photo: Go Boston/Rafael Cumbas Feliciano
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