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That the City Manager is requested to allow autonomous vehicle (AV) testing in Cambridge provided certain conditions are met
City of Cambridge
O-12
ORIGINAL ORDER
IN CITY COUNCIL
April 2, 2018
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
VICE MAYOR DEVEREUX
WHEREAS:
It has come to the attention of the City Council that City officials are considering
permitting autonomous vehicle (AV), aka “self-driving cars” testing on city streets;
and
WHEREAS:
A pedestrian in Arizona was killed by an AV operated by Uber on March 18, 2018, the
first such fatality on record; and
WHEREAS:
Preliminary information suggests that Uber was testing the modified Volvo with its
built-in safety features turned off, and with only a single test driver who appears to
have been distracted just prior to the crash; and
WHEREAS:
Waymo, nuTonomy, Optimus Ride and Delphi (renamed Aptiv), have lodged millions
of miles of AV testing in cities across the world, including Boston, with a stellar safety
record; and
WHEREAS:
Recent traffic fatality data indicates that the fatality rate has increased in recent years
despite a decline in vehicle ownership and significant improvements in vehicle safety
technology including collision avoidance, automatic braking, and adaptive cruise
control; and
WHEREAS:
There are no clear federal or state guidelines for allowing AV testing on public roads;
and
WHEREAS:
There is considerable potential to reduce pedestrian and bicycle collisions and fatalities
through the use of AV technology; now therefore be it
ORDERED:
That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to allow AV testing in Cambridge,
provided the following conditions are met:
•
There shall be two test drivers per vehicle at all times
•
Vehicles will obey all posted and specified speed limits at all times, including
the recently enacted 20 MPH safety zones
•
Companies will submit all data collected in Cambridge upon request, including
but not limited to: video, LIDAR, radar and other sensor data, route travelled,
average speed, deceleration and acceleration events, and any other data that
could help us evaluate their safety and suitability for continued testing in
Cambridge
•
Companies will submit a written statement outlining off-road testing
conducted to date and full description of safety-features of the vehicles being
tested, including collision avoidance and automatic braking, as well as full
description of test driver qualifications and training; and be it further
ORDERED:
That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to promptly report back to the City
Council on this matter.