Skip to main content

Michigan invites visits to Planet M

The Michigan booth here at ITS America 2016 San Jose introduces “Planet M,” a brand showcasing Michigan’s resources, leadership, partnerships and investments that make it the hub of mobility innovations. Visitors to the booth will learn how the state that put the world on wheels is leading the next generation of mobility.
June 14, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Kirk Steudle of the State of Michigan Department of Transportation

The Michigan booth here at ITS America 2016 San Jose introduces “8439 Planet M,” a brand showcasing Michigan’s resources, leadership, partnerships and investments that make it the hub of mobility innovations.

Visitors to the booth will learn how the state that put the world on wheels is leading the next generation of mobility.

As the line between technology and transportation continues to blur, Michigan aims to resume its role as a worldwide leader. Detroit automakers and other Michigan manufacturers are driving investments and partnerships that merge advanced manufacturing experience with innovative new technologies.

The 1688 Michigan Department of Transportation and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation are investing in people, programs and projects that will transform the way manufacturers make vehicles and transportation agencies deliver services to meet the ever-changing needs of 21st century mobility.

Michigan is where big ideas in mobility are born as visitors to the booth will learn. Planet M represents Michigan’s legacy, its leadership and its future. And the state has much to offer. It is home to the largest deployment of freeway and surface street V2I technology in the United States. Michigan is also home to Mcity, a 32-acre connected and autonomous vehicle testing site that simulates urban and suburban environments.

In the final stages of approval, The American Centre for Mobility, a 335-
acre site, targeted to open in 2017, will provide additional testing and validation resources, including higher speeds and interaction with rail and flight.

Most recently, Michigan introduced a bipartisan package of bills that would allow self-driving cars to operate on any Michigan road and eliminate the need for a driver to be behind the wheel while in operation and also approved the creation of on-demand autonomous vehicle networks operated by manufacturers, for example General Motors and Lyft.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Ex-USDoT bosses urge Congress to reauthorise Fast 
    March 25, 2020
    The Metropolitan Civic Leadership Alliance is calling on US Congress to reauthorise the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (Fast) Act which is set to expire this autumn. 
  • Video analytics enhances urban rail safety
    December 16, 2016
    David Crawford explores some promising innovations for North American commuters. North America is experiencing a surge in commuter rail and metro development. The US now has 75 light rail and metro networks in operation; and California, in particular, is actively exploring ways of developing the state’s existing passenger rail operations into a fully integrated system.
  • Rekor & AWS talk to DoTs: they said what?!
    October 30, 2023
    Rekor and AWS asked the US transportation industry what it was thinking. The US transportation industry didn’t hold back. Adam Hill picks over some robust findings
  • Ability to keep in touch on US buses woos travellers
    February 1, 2012
    David Crawford finds evidence of a new trend in American intercity travel: that better access to data sources on the move is tempting passengers away from air travel and onto surface modes. In the US the ease of use of Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) is successfully wooing long-distance travellers away from airlines and onto surface public transport, according to just-published research. Using data from field observations of 7,028 passengers travelling by bus, air and train in 14 US states and the Distri