MnDOT eyes autonomous vehicles to close transportation gaps, improve safety
When you hear “autonomous vehicles,” you might think of big tech and Tesla. But the state thinks opportunity. The Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Connected and Automated Vehicles Director, Tara Olds, says she sees the technology as a chance to fix some persistent transportation problems in the state. Olds has helped oversee three pilot projects — in Rochester, Minn., White Bear Lake, Minn. and now Grand Rapids, Minn. — to explore how autonomous vehicles can improve road safety and access to transportation.