I feel like we already saw a preview of this with micromobility, where cities at best grudgingly tolerated and at worst actively impeded or outright banned what could have been a revolutionary improvement to transportation. I'm curious if you compare to the politics of that to figure out how to avoid making the same mistakes again
I feel like we already saw a preview of this with micromobility, where cities at best grudgingly tolerated and at worst actively impeded or outright banned what could have been a revolutionary improvement to transportation. I'm curious if you compare to the politics of that to figure out how to avoid making the same mistakes again
Great comparison. In the case of micro mobility it requires a complete overhaul of our streetscape and how we interact with it. We are not nimble decision makers so to your point we just threw in the towel. I fear that autonomous cars will face the opposite problem. At the onset they require absolutely no involvement for it to work on the existing right of ways. Which means we will get apathy from decision makers and the all the shortcoming listed above will be sure to come to pass.
We look at it to some extent. The difference is that scooters and their ilk annoyed everyone who was not a scooter-user, i.e., almost everyone, by polluting walkways with unused devices, riding on sidewalks and menacing pedestrians, riding recklessly in mixed traffic, and so forth. Robotaxis will annoy some people; help others; and make no difference to yet another set. The politics will be different... but even so, grudging toleration and outright impediment are clearly future possibilities!
I feel like we already saw a preview of this with micromobility, where cities at best grudgingly tolerated and at worst actively impeded or outright banned what could have been a revolutionary improvement to transportation. I'm curious if you compare to the politics of that to figure out how to avoid making the same mistakes again
Great comparison. In the case of micro mobility it requires a complete overhaul of our streetscape and how we interact with it. We are not nimble decision makers so to your point we just threw in the towel. I fear that autonomous cars will face the opposite problem. At the onset they require absolutely no involvement for it to work on the existing right of ways. Which means we will get apathy from decision makers and the all the shortcoming listed above will be sure to come to pass.
I hope it's not SURE they come to pass. That's the idea motivating the book: to lay out a plan to get a better outcome!
We look at it to some extent. The difference is that scooters and their ilk annoyed everyone who was not a scooter-user, i.e., almost everyone, by polluting walkways with unused devices, riding on sidewalks and menacing pedestrians, riding recklessly in mixed traffic, and so forth. Robotaxis will annoy some people; help others; and make no difference to yet another set. The politics will be different... but even so, grudging toleration and outright impediment are clearly future possibilities!