Intelligent transportation initiatives have been underway in New York State for some time now, but as connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) are increasingly tested throughout the United States, statewide leaders recognized the importance of preparing for and informing statewide decision-making and ensuring NYS's unique environment was central to all discussions about CAV.
CAVs have the potential to affect all segments of society and change the way goods and services move from place to place. Governments will play a critical role in ensuring that full-scale deployment of passenger, commercial, and transit CAV is done in a way that ensures public safety and provides equal access to opportunity.
To that end, the NYS Thruway Authority (NYSTA) and the NYS Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) convened a small group of leaders of transportation related agencies to identify a set of critical questions related to full-scale deployment of CAV in NYS in an effort to ensure a coordinated and statewide approach.