Autonomous Vehicles, Mobility, and Employment Policy: The Roads Ahead

This research brief considers the current state of automated driving technologies, including driver assistance systems and highly automated vehicles (AVs), as well as their potential implications for mobility and employment. Broader impacts, including the interplay with transit and land-use and environmental consequences are also briefly considered. Key findings include: (1) The widespread deployment of fully automated driving systems that have no safety driver onboard will take at least a decade. Winter climates and rural areas will experience still longer transitions. (2) Expansion will likely be gradual and will happen region-by-region in specific categories of transportation, resulting in wide variations in availability across the country. (3) The AV transition will not be jobless. New opportunities will arise for employment, such as in the remote management of vehicles, but the quality of these jobs is uncertain, and depends somewhat on policy choices. (4) AV should be thought of as one element in a mobility mix, and as a potential feeder for public transit rather than a replacement for it. However, unintended consequences such as increased congestion remain risks. (5) AV operations will benefit from improvements to infrastructure, which can create positive spillover effects with respect to jobs, accessibility, and the environment. This includes not only traditional transportation infrastructure such as roads and bridges, but also information infrastructure such as communications systems, databases, and standards. The brief concludes with policy recommendations.

• Record URL:
  https://workofthefuture.mit.edu/sites/default/files/2020-07/WotF-2020-Research-Brief-Leonard-Mindell-Stayton.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Cambridge, Massachusetts  United States 
• Authors:
  • Leonard, John J
  • Mindell, David A
  • Stayton, Erik L
• Publication Date: 2020

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Research Brief
• Features: References;
• Pagination: 34p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Autonomous vehicles; Driver support systems; Employment; Forecasting; Impacts; Infrastructure; Mobility; Policy; Public transit; Recommendations
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01747800
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 17 2020 9:32AM