With the advent of autonomous vehicles (AVs), we find ourselves on the brink of one of most significant changes in transportation since cars replaced horses. But the big question is, who’s holding the reins?
As concluded in the state Attorney General’s “Preliminary Report on the Hawaii Autonomous Vehicles Legal Preparation Task Force” submitted to the Legislature, “AVs have the potential to improve the safety of the transportation system, reduce energy consumption, and enhance overall quality of life.” The latter includes improving access to work, education and lifestyle opportunities for residents who are unable to drive (that’s about a third of Hawaii’s population).
But unless we act now, AVs will just continue our state’s reliance on imported fossil fuels and do nothing to improve accessibility and travel.
A better scenario — one in which we insist that AVs are electric, shared and accessible — makes the technology work for us.
To begin the conversation, Ulupono Initiative partnered with transportation experts at Mobilitye3 to examine how Hawaii may steer this revolution to ensure emerging technologies meet the needs of our island community. The resulting report, titled “A Framework for Hawaii’s Autonomous Vehicle Future: Accessible, Automated, Connected, Electric, Shared” (A2CES), analyzes our existing transportation system and identifies what steps are needed.
First, AVs can’t just be replacements for current internal-combustion engine automobile fleets. Making them electric aligns with our state’s own energy and transportation goals.
Furthermore, fleets of shared AVs could be deployed and controlled for large-scale demand response charging, increasing the grid-level benefits when compared even to electric privately owned AVs. Developing a strong, renewable charging infrastructure for electric vehicles sets the foundation for AVs to be an efficient component to multimodal transportation.
Second, AVs can’t be allowed to make travel worse. As the attorney general’s report rightly pointed out, one of the critical concerns with single-occupant AVs is that they will dramatically increase vehicle miles traveled (VMT). What used to be one trip (you going to work) is now two trips (one trip for the AV to pick you up, and another to get you to the workplace). With AVs, VMT increases even more as the vehicle circles aimlessly until you are ready to leave your destination.
It’s essential to encourage fleets or AV transportation services rather than individual ownership.
As we move through recovery from COVID-19, we don’t know what social distancing will require in the future. But one could imagine fleets of shared AVs providing maximum options for small groups to remain adaptive to the social distancing needs, regardless of what crisis or alert level. They would be cleaned daily, unlike your own car.
The pandemic has not stopped AVs, especially for important cargo like COVID-19 test results and other important freight from trucking to local streets. For Hawaii, there may be opportunities at airports and marine ports for automated, electric buses, bag carriage, and even trucking.
Finally, great thought must be given to how AVs can provide independence for those who do not or cannot drive. This uplifts our entire community by improving access to employment and education, self-sufficiency and even productivity. In addition, AV technology for public transit vehicles and microtransit is a key opportunity to ensure we extend mobility to those currently without access to public transit.
At the heart of A2CES is the adage “the best way to predict the future is to create it.” We encourage Hawaii’s forward-looking network of public agencies, technology firms, investors, nonprofits, real estate and commercial developers — not to mention residents who are just worn out from the rush-hour grind — to meet the challenge.
Kelley Coyner, is founder and CEO of Mobilitye3; Kathleen Rooney is director of transportation policy and programs at Ulupono Initiative. Read the A2CES report at ulupono.com.
