The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) recently applied to a US Department of Transportation solicitation to be designated as an automated vehicle proving ground pilot.
“This application further illustrates that we’re a national leader in supporting automated vehicle development with safety and flexibility in mind,” PennDOT secretary, Leslie S Richards, said. “We’ve put in significant work on this issue with our taskforce, with our partners in the legislature, and through close collaboration with the industry.”
The application outlines the benefits and possibilities for testing within the state that already exist and offer an array of environments and topography under varying degrees of testing. The proposal includes testing facilities in Pittsburgh, building on the city’s leadership in development and testing for these vehicles and offering an urban environment, connected signals, and multiple bridges and tunnels; at Penn State University, which has a closed track, where commercial, transit and other vehicles can be tested at low speeds and with controlled incidents; and at the Pocono Raceway, which offers a closed track and is ideal for testing higher speeds, multiple connected vehicles (platooning) and other options.
January 5, 2017
