Michigan Aims To Lead The Way For Self-Driving Vehicles With Redesigned Roads

 

Michigan Aims To Lead The Way For Self-Driving Vehicles With Redesigned Roads

The state of Michigan has undertaken a new initiative that aims to help shape the future of self-driving vehicles by redesigning roadways to be better prepared for the inevitability of autonomous vehicles. Partnering with companies in the tech and auto industry, Michigan aims to develop a roughly 40 mile stretch of road between Detroit and Ann Arbor specifically for connected and autonomous vehicles, a move that is the first of its kind. The effort will be guided by local communities as well as companies that represent both public and private interests in hopes of improving access to transportation along the corridor.

The ambitious project will be built around a conglomeration of several local, statewide, and national companies and organizations that includes the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Ford Motor Company, the University of Michigan, the American Center for Mobility, the Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, city and state government, and the Center for Connected and Automated Transportation, among many others. The group that will be spearheading the project’s development will be Cavnue, which is a part of the Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners.

Cavnue’s stated goal is to combine transport infrastructure initiatives with modern technology and accessibility to develop safer roads and transit options that will also serve communities that don’t currently have the means to meet the needs of its citizens. Additionally, the project aims to allow for more passengers along the heavily trafficked route, while improving the safety of those who will use the corridor. The first leg of the development process will be a feasibility assessment conducted by Cavnue to determine how best to use the resources at its disposal and take into account the possibility of future changes and development of new technologies in connected transportation.

Detroit has long been the leading voice in U.S. auto manufacturing and development and the new project hopes to build on that with an eye toward the future of public and private transportation that will ultimately include things like freight transport and shared public transit. To this point, there hasn’t yet been a determination as to exactly how the development will unfold, which is part of the first phase of planning that will be directed by Cavnue’s assessment. According to the Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, the retooled corridor could include cameras and light detection and ranging technology (LIDAR), which is used in autonomous vehicles for safety and detection on roadways.

While the project is still in its infancy, the state hopes to move forward quickly as it determines startup costs, exact details of the route itself, and how to fund maintenance once the details take shape. Early estimates of the cost for the project are currently pegged at roughly $10 million per mile, which is no small undertaking, even for a state that operates with huge investments in the auto industry. Even that figure is not set in stone as leaders of the project’s development admit that the cost could be much higher (or lower) than expected.