Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan Create ‘Smart Belt Coalition’ for Driverless Vehicle Development
Entities from Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan have agreed to work together as a part of a ‘Smart Belt Coalition’ (SBC), dedicated to advancing initiatives surrounding driverless and connected vehicles. In the coming months, the SBC, which will include transportation agencies and universities from each state, will be formalized with a memorandum of understanding (MOU).
The Coalition was formed to accomplish a variety of goals, including establishing a network of transportation innovations for connected automation, validating different innovations across a variety of urban and rural roadways, and sharing data that will go towards the research and development of future technologies.
According to Michigan State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle, this partnership between the three states is especially important as the world of mobility continues to change every day.
“This initiative highlights the collaboration we know will be necessary as mobility evolves at an exponential pace,” Steudle says through Michigan's Department of Transportation website.
“Working closely with our colleagues in neighboring states will pay dividends for all of us while we continue to leverage our existing partnerships with universities and the American Center for Mobility.”
The three states were reportedly chosen because they all have a lot in common, including similar climates, commercial truck traffic, and they all are actively working in the world of driverless and connected vehicles.
For Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Leslie S. Richards, this Coalition has room for plenty of opportunities.
“I’m excited for us to continue our efforts in fostering safe and effective development of this technology,” Richards says via the Central Penn Business Journal.
“This multi-state partnership not only offers fantastic collaboration opportunities, but will also bring some consistency to testing scenarios that will help the private sector as they develop these technologies.”
Right now, the SBC is working on a strategic plan that focuses on several areas of importance, including connected and automated applications in work zones, commercial freight opportunities in testing, and incident management applications capable of providing better information for emergency responders and other agencies.
