In the first, private autonomous vehicles serve as the backbone of our transportation network, a scenario that the Cato Institute, a libertarian policy think tank, advocates for: There are two diverging visions for autonomous vehicles. What does a future with autonomous vehicles look like?
In fact, we’re seeing early echos of this future now. However, some people envision these vehicles as totally usurping mass transit–a misguided ambition which will instead lead to chaos and congestion on our streets. Their ability to travel independently to transport other fare-paying passengers will allow area residents to re-allocate the tens of thousands of dollars they currently use to own, maintain, and store cars to other, more fulfilling endeavors. Improvements to traffic safety resulting from the transition from human-operated to autonomous vehicles could save tens of thousands of American lives per year. I have no doubt that fleets of autonomous vehicles, dispatched via computer algorithms similar to those coordinating today’s app-based rides, will someday roam DC’s streets and substantially impact how we get around. Image by Marc van der Chijs licensed under Creative Commons.
Prototype from Google's self-driving car project.
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