Skip to main content

ITS America applauds US DOT decision to accelerate automated and connected vehicle projects

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America’s (ITS America) President and CEO Regina Hopper has applauded the announcement by US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx that the Obama Administration has proposed US$4 billion over 10 years for automated and connected vehicle pilot projects that accelerate vehicle safety technologies. Secretary Foxx also announced that the US DOT is removing potential roadblocks to the integration of innovative, transformational automotive technology that can signific
January 15, 2016 Read time: 3 mins
The Intelligent Transportation Society of America’s (560 ITS America) President and CEO Regina Hopper has applauded the announcement by US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx that the Obama Administration has proposed US$4 billion over 10 years for automated and connected vehicle pilot projects that accelerate vehicle safety technologies.

Secretary Foxx also announced that the US DOT is removing potential roadblocks to the integration of innovative, transformational automotive technology that can significantly improve safety, mobility, and sustainability.

“We are on the cusp of a new era in automotive technology with enormous potential to save lives, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and transform mobility for the American people,” said Foxx.  “Today’s actions and those we will pursue in the coming months will provide the foundation and the path forward for manufacturers, state officials, and consumers to use new technologies and achieve their full safety potential.”

The President’s FY17 budget proposal would provide nearly US$4 billion over 10 years for pilot programs to test connected vehicle systems in designated corridors throughout the country, and work with industry leaders to ensure a common multistate framework for connected and autonomous vehicles.

Hopper said, “ITS America applauds Secretary Foxx and the Administration for accelerating the adoption of advanced vehicle technologies, such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication that will significantly reduce traffic fatalities and injuries and ensure America continues to lead in automotive and transportation innovation.

“Automated and connected vehicle technologies will save thousands of lives each year and bring us closer to our goal of zero deaths on America’s roads.

“Congress took a critical step in the FAST Act to encourage innovation and support the deployment of these and other Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).  This announcement represents the collective commitment of the transportation, technology and highway safety communities to tackle the challenges and harness the opportunities before us to transform safety and mobility in America.”

Secretary Foxx also unveiled policy guidance that updates the 834 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) 2013 preliminary policy statement on autonomous vehicles.  The new guidance, released today, reflects the reality that the widespread deployment of fully autonomous vehicles is now feasible.

“NHTSA is using all of its available tools to accelerate the deployment of technologies that can eliminate 94 per cent of fatal crashes involving human error,” said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind.  “We will work with state partners toward creating a consistent national policy on these innovations, provide options now and into the future for manufacturers seeking to deploy autonomous vehicles, and keep our safety mission paramount at every stage.”

Related Content

  • August 21, 2014
    Ken Leonard talks to ITS International
    Ken Leonard, director of the USDOT’s ITS Joint Program office made time in his schedule during the Helsinki Congress to speak to ITS International. It has been 18 months since Ken Leonard took over as the director of the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office at the US Department of Transportation. With 30 years of technical experience behind him, to say he is enjoying the challenge would be to put it mildly: “It is incredibly exciting to be working in intelligent transportation systems, th
  • October 20, 2016
    New US DOT committee to shape the future of automated transportation
    The US Department of Transportation (US DOT) is seeking innovators and experts to join a cross-modal committee to shape the future of automated transportation technologies. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced the establishment of an Advisory Committee on Automation in Transportation (ACAT), which will serve as a critical resource for the Department in framing federal policy for the continued development and deployment of automated transportation. Members of the committee will assess th
  • March 3, 2014
    New USDOT report points to need for more investment in highways, transit
    US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced that a new report on the state of America's transportation infrastructure, 2013 Status of the Nation's Highways, Bridges and Transit: Conditions and Performance, confirms that more investment is needed to maintain and improve the nation's highway and transit systems. Last month, Secretary Foxx highlighted the need for transportation investment in a speech that took aim at America’s infrastructure deficit and identified ways to use innovation and improv
  • October 7, 2022
    Lidar Coalition gathers members
    Lobby group seeks to promote Lidar's part in reducing and preventing US road deaths