San Mateo publishes draft Automated Vehicles Strategic Plan

The San Mateo County Transportation Authority has published their 126 page draft Automated Vehicles Strategic Plan. The purpose of the plan is to identify the current state of AV in San Mateo County, establish a shared-vision for AV deployment, identify opportunities and challenges for AV deployment in the county (including regulatory, legal, and operational), identify opportunities for AV pilots and other AV-related projects, and to develop an AV action plan with prioritized next steps that align with potential funding availability.

While it is good to see that a transportation authority is trying to understand the ramifications of the technology and develop an actual plan, it is unfortunate that they are still misguided with respect to robotaxis improving safety. The key problem is that the drivers who cause safety problems by speeding are not and will not be switching over to using robotaxis. Even if robotaxis are eventually safer than human drivers, they won’t make a difference if the problem human drivers won’t use them.

And as a concrete example, San Francisco is by far the robotaxi leader. Waymo vehicles are frequently seen and are always available. Yet in 2024 we have already surpassed number of pedestrians killed compared to 2023. With all of these robotaxis safety has actually declined. This is because the solution is safer street design, not expensive robotaxis for the more wealthy.