Autonomous vehicles could soon be on the streets of Athens.
Last month, Athens City Council voted to allow the City of Athens to enter into an agreement with DriveOhio, an initiative within the Ohio Department of Transportation, or ODOT, which is organizing test sites for autonomous vehicles.
Those vehicles will be driverless vehicle shuttles. However, the vehicles will still have a person stationed inside to control the vehicle in case of an emergency.
“We have hills. We have roundabouts. We have some features that aren’t common in every city in Ohio,” Athens City Councilman Peter Kotses, D-At Large, said. “It puts us in a position where DriveOhio is excited to see us be part of a test site.”
Kotses said the ordinance helps keep Athens in consideration for being a test site. He said a lot still needs to be figured out, such as who will partner with the city to bring autonomous vehicles to Athens and what DriveOhio has in store for the test sites.
“We know that this technology is coming, … and it is rapidly advancing,” Matt Bruning, ODOT press secretary, said. “We want to make sure Ohio is in a position to be a leader in this, and we think we have done that.”
Bruning said rather than being chosen by ODOT and DriveOhio as a test site, the city will have to work with both private entities and the agency to set up the infrastructure needed for Athens be a test site.
At a city council meeting in August, Athens Mayor Steve Patterson said they are exploring multiple routes in Athens which could include Stimson Avenue, Mill Street, South Green Drive, West Union and other streets throughout the city.
Since the potential routes could run through Ohio University’s campus, OU could be involved in project planning.
“Ohio University looks forward to exploring the partnership opportunities presented by the talks between the City of Athens and DriveOhio regarding the potential for driverless vehicles in Athens,” OU Spokesman Jim Sabin said in an email. “Ohio University is participating in the planning phase as a resource and will evaluate next steps in due course.”
Kotses said if the city is chosen, there could be an opportunity to bring new infrastructure technology to the city through the partnership. One of those technologies could be traffic signals that are activated by radar, rather than ones activated by metal plates below the road.
The agreement comes at a time when driverless vehicles are making headlines for both their innovation and safety hazards. Earlier this year, a pedestrian was killed in Tempe, Arizona, after a self-driving car operated by Uber struck her, despite there being an emergency backup driver behind the wheel.
Bruning said DriveOhio and the private companies that will make the vehicles will ensure they are as safe as possible and follow stringent standards. He acknowledged that some people will still have reservations about the vehicles.
“As people hear more and more about how autonomous, connected vehicles work and how they can make our roads safer, I think there is a greater acceptance,” Bruning said.
Bruning said it is not yet known whether Athens will be a test site for these vehicles or how many test sites will be established in Ohio. He said any city in Ohio can start conversations with DriveOhio.
“I don't think anyone really knows what the future of transportation is gonna looks like for the next 20 to 30 years, but right now, this is promising technology. It is good to see if we can help facilitate an initial solution to growing our road systems,” Kotses said.
