AV America, with the support of Global Mass Transit, is organizing a virtual conference on Autonomous Vehicles and Public Transport in Rural Areas on July 21, 2021.
Summary
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) in public transport present an opportunity for transit agencies to expand their offerings in rural areas in a cost-effective manner and serve the specific needs of this population. Rural areas also present a new frontier for AV providers, who have mostly focused on urban environments till now. The unique characteristics of rural areas in terms of demographics and terrain offer a chance to test and develop more robust vehicles and systems.
The mission of the conference is to discuss the opportunities presented by AVs in rural areas, understand the benefits and challenges, explore key developments, review case studies, discuss the infrastructure requirements, showcase new technologies, and discuss the way forward in the US.
Key topics to be explored
- Role of AVs in public transport in rural areas
- Benefits and challenges of autonomous vehicles in public transport in rural areas
- Current deployments, the experience so far and lessons learned
- Examples of AV testing in rural areas, key results
- Digital and other infrastructure requirements
- Technologies for AVs
- Economics of AVs in rural areas
- Safety and AVs in rural environment
Further details about the event are here.