Michigan’s Council on Future Mobility presented a comprehensive public-policy blueprint promoting the development and application of technologies associated with autonomous, automated, and connected vehicles to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder on Monday.
The report aims to cultivate a legal, economic, and regulatory ecosystem to facilitate and support the transformation of mobility across all modes of transportation in Michigan.
“I have been travelling nationally and internationally to promote Michigan as a leader in automotive design and manufacturing with the technical expertise to usher in the next era of transportation,” says Snyder. “These public-policy recommendations provide a rigorous framework and practical methods to address the many forms of mobility that are rapidly becoming a reality.
“Many of the issues contained in the report are the same as those that come up in discussions when I travel to promote Michigan as the mobility capital of the world, and this input helps to answer those questions and show that we are staying at the forefront of all things mobility.”
Key recommendations include educating the council and policy makers on future mobility; connecting the public and private sectors to foster innovation; creating an educational, professional, and personal environment that attracts and retains talent; and engaging local communities and partners to promote and advance personal mobility.
In addition, the report calls for promoting equitable access to future mobility options; identifying opportunities to brand Michigan as the center of mobility technology and policy development; ensuring effective cyber security standards for transportation; addressing and evaluating implications for risk management, insurance, and product liability laws.
“With the launch of PlanetM, we showed the world that Michigan was at the forefront in coordinating public and private business attraction and technical collaborations,” says Kirk Steudle, a member of the mobility council and the director of the Michigan Department of Transportation.
PlanetM is a partnership of mobility organizations, communities, educational institutions, research and development groups, and government agencies that work together to develop and deploy autonomous vehicle technology.
Michigan has been promoting its mobility initiatives over the past several years, and will serve as host for the Intelligent Transportation Society (ITS) of America Annual Meeting from June 4-7 at Cobo Center in downtown Detroit.
