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154-Policy Solutions to Scale AVs Now: Harmonizing Federal, State and Local Policy to Develop a Consensus National AV Framework 

Date and Time: Monday, July 10, 2023: 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Imperial B

Session Moderators and Organizers

MODERATORS
Katherine Kortum, Senior Program Officer, Transportation Research Board
Kristin White, COO, ITS America
Daniela Bremmer, AASHTO CAV Community of Practice

ORGANIZERS

TRB Sponsoring Committees and Partners

● TRB Emerging Technology Law Standing Committee (AL040)
● TRB Vehicle-Highway Automation Committee (AHB30)
● TRB Transit and Intermodal Transportation Law Standing Committee (AJL20)
● TRB-NASEM Forum on Preparing for Automated Vehicles and Shared Mobility

Session Description and Agenda

DESCRIPTION

For over ten years ARTS has discussed automated vehicle policy but in 2023 there is still no harmonized framework to help cities, states and the federal government scale deployment. The U.S. DOT still has not developed a comprehensive AV policy and Congress is divided. Conversations are siloed, stakeholders are frustrated, industry is lagging, states and local agencies are developing a patchwork approach, we are falling behind China, and we still see the nation’s highest rates of road fatalities.

But we have policy solutions now that are scalable.

Learning from years of discussions and debate, this session will use interactive, creative facilitation to take comprehensive action to understand how we can tactically harmonize local, state, and federal policy in 2023. This session will develop actionable policy solutions by ensuring the right voices are in the room, public and private stakeholders are involved, and build off the last decade of discussions to develop a list of consensus policy actions the U.S. can adopt now.

The session will include:
● Interactive “un-panel” discussions to hear from federal, state and local leaders
● “Tech talks” from industry leaders to help local, state and federal policy experts build consensus policy goals
● A roundtable of national AV policy experts working with the sole purpose to harmonize laws and policy
● Breakouts to help public agencies, industry, and our federal government to come together to make meaningful action to develop a bipartisan framework to be enacted in 2023.

This session builds off 2022 workshops at ARTS and joint meetings with the National Academies Forum on Preparing for Automated Vehicles and Shared Mobility, the ITS America Automated Vehicle Committee, and AASHTO’s AV Community of Practice.

We will discuss common ground, consensus policy framework solutions needed to build a national AV framework that ensures safety, promotes federal/state/local collaboration, ensures cities and states have a voice, and helps industry understand what is needed from regulators to drive innovation to ensure a National AV Framework in 2023.

Cities, other local agencies, states, federal governments, and international organizations are all trying to clarify and shape the regulatory structure of automated vehicles. Recently, the call for a US national AV framework and vision has been echoed by many and is becoming an increasing focus for discussion (see list below). Many agree that the current patchwork approach results in fragmented investments, innovation, and deployment. But what would a national framework look like? Is there a common understanding of that need? Who should be doing what? What should be handled at the national or higher level, and what should not be handled at that level? This session seeks to advance that discussion with the input from many different stakeholders, both private and public.

Resources and Policy Documents
● ITS America Strategic Plan and AV Principles
https://itsa.org/news/its-america-announces-2023-26-strategic-plan-mission-and-vision
https://itsa.org/advocacy-material/its-america-equity-climate-safety-and-infrastructure-principles-for-automated-and-autonomous-mobility/
● AASHTO CAV Policy Principles:
https://cav.transportation.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/61/2021/11/CAV-Policy-Principles-v4-pre
ss.pdf
● AAMVA Guidelines for the Safe Testing and Deployment of AVs Version 3.0
https://www.aamva.org/assets/best-practices%2C-guides%2C-standards%2C-manuals%2C-whitepapers/safe-testing-and-deployment-of-vehicles-equipped-with-automated-driving-systems-guidelines%2C-edition
● Automated Vehicle Pooled Fund Infrastructure Owner Operator Strategic Roadmap for
Accelerated Adoption of AVs
https://www.pooledfund.org/Document/Download?id=11529
● Mid-America States Connected and Automated Vehicle 10-Year Strategic Plan
https://cav.transportation.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/61/2021/11/MAASTO-CAV-Summit-Regional-Strategy.pdf
● SAE Automated Vehicle Safety Consortium Best Practices
https://avsc.sae-itc.org/best-practices-form-8039CB-48712CM.html?respondentID=38710510
● Open Mobility Foundation’s vision / six principles
https://www.openmobilityfoundation.org/6-principles-that-guide-open-mobility-foundation/
● NACTO’s Blueprint for Autonomous Urbanism
https://nacto.org/publication/bau2/
● Alliance for Automotive Innovation Policy Roadmap to Advance Automated Vehicle Innovation
https://www.autosinnovate.org/innovation/avroadmap/AV%20Roadmap%20One%20Pager.pdf
● American Metropolitan Planning Association National Framework for Regional Vehicle
Connectivity and Automation Planning
https://transportationops.org/sites/transops/files/2019-AMPO-Framework-11.pdf
● American Planning Association Preparing Communities for Autonomous Vehicles
https://planning-org-uploaded-media.s3.amazonaws.com/publication/download_pdf/Autonomous-Vehicles-Symposium-Report.pdf
● Uniform Law Commission Model AV Laws
https://transportationops.org/sites/transops/files/UAOVA_Final%20Act_2019.pdf

AGENDA

Throughout the session, Mentimeter live polling will be used to collect data on feedback and ideas for policy recommendations. The goal is to foster real-time interaction both in-person and using the web to capture ideas and use different channels of communications. Worksheets and post-its will be on all round tables and 3M large post-its will be on surrounding walls to capture key takeaways throughout the event. Two rapporteurs will be present to take notes using Chatham House rules.

Presentations will be limited to 5-7 minutes or less to quickly introduce opening ideas and to focus on recommended policy actions and offer ideas for debate in opening statements. Each panel will have an experienced moderator to inspire debate and consensus policy recommendations. Participants will be able to submit feedback via real-time Mentimeter polling for moderators to offer ideas. Each panel will come up with several consensus policy recommendations

1. Welcome (10 min)- Introductory remarks from TRB AV/SM Forum, ITS America representatives

2. Goals and Outcomes (5 min)

3. Overview & “State of the State”: Level-Setting and Takeaways from 2022 Policy Challenges & Opportunities (20 min) - TRB’s AV Forum and ITS America (Jane Lappin and Kristin White) will overview the top 10 policy takeaways from 2022 joint policy forums
a. Q&A (20 min)
b. Live mentimeter polling to react to takeaways

4. USDOT AV Policy Overview (10 min): Where have we been and where are we headed? What are our biggest challenges? What do we need out of this discussion?
a. Speaker TBD
b. Q&A (10 min)
c. Live mentimeter polling

5. State and Local Harmonization Panel (20 min) - Representatives from states (AASHTO), cities, and public agencies will discuss their recommendations to harmonize local, state and federal policy and will make actionable recommendations on the top priority policy needs to advance automation.
a. Preeti Choudhary, Drive Ohio
b. Elise Feldpausch, Michigan DOT
c. Julia Friedlander, San Francisco Metro Transit Authority or Tilly Chang, SFCTA
d. Connie Llanos, LA DOT
e. Q&A
f. Live mentimeter polling

6. Tech Talks Policy Harmonization (20 min) - Leading policy voices from the largest AV tech companies will offer their top 10 policy recommendations to harmonize local, state and federal policy and ask for one key action from both Congress and USDOT.
a. Kevin Gay, Uber
b. Prashanthi Raman, Cruise
c. David Quinalty, Waymo
d. Phil Pierce, Zoox
e. Q&A
f. Live mentimeter polling BREAK

7. Policy Harmonization Roundtable & Conversation Circle (45 min) - A roundtable of national AV policy experts will share their top takeaways to harmonize US AV policy. After ideas are introduced (5 minutes each), the conversation circle will be opened up to invite other breakout session participants to ask questions, share their ideas, and engage in debate.
a. ITSA representative
b. TRB representative
c. SAE representative
d. AASHTO CAV COP representative
e. Anita Kim or Lafcadio Flint, Volpe
f. University of Michigan representative (U of M law professor?)
g. Allante Whitmore, SAFE

8. Breakouts (45 min) to help public agencies, industry and our federal government to come together to make meaningful action to develop a bipartisan framework to be enacted in 2023. Each table will include a voice from local, state, and federal agencies, and industry representatives. Table must come up with at least 3 consensus recommendations for harmonize US AV policy. [Each table will have a table moderator and note taker. Table moderators will take notes on a large 3M post-it and note takers will take typewritten notes for the white paper.]
a. Table introductions (10 min) - Name, role, organization, and in 30 seconds or less, your initial takeaway from the event.
b. Top 3 Recommendations for Harmonizing US Policy (20 min) - Each participant will offer their top 3 ideas. Take time to think, then write down your ideas on the post-its on the table, then share round-robin style.
c. Coming to Consensus (25 min) - Table moderator will engage table in discussion to come to consensus on at least 3 policy recommendations that can be agreed upon by industry and public agencies. Recommendations must be specific (e.g. ‘agree on safety metrics’ is not specific enough to be included in the report out. Recommendations must be tactical, specific, and actionable.
d. Final agreement (5 min) - Table moderator works with table to summarize their top 3 policy recommendations to share out with the full session. [TRB and ITS America staff will go around the tables to review top consensus takeaways.]

9. Report Out (30 min) - Each table will report-out on their top 3 recommendations. If a recommendation is duplicative to another table, skip and only report-out new ideas. Katherine Kortum of TRB to lead.

10. Rapporteur’s Report & Summary (10 min) - Session rapporteurs will share their top 10 takeaways on policy harmonization and recommended next steps. Katherine Kortum of TRB and/or Daniela Bremmer of Washington State DOT to lead.

11. Closing & Next Steps - TRB and ITS America (Jane Lappin and Kristin White) will offer closing thoughts and discuss action items, next steps and timelines.

Session Objectives

1. Ensure AV stakeholders know what local, state and federal policy frameworks exist
2. Hear from government and industry what is needed for common-ground solutions to harmonize local, state and federal laws
3. Start to outline consensus policy recommendations, including legislative and regulatory provisions
4. Outline roles and responsibilities across local, state, and federal government and industry: Determine who should be doing what? What should be handled at the national, state, and local level?
5. Define action and items and next steps to hold stakeholders accountable to progress activities and demand meaningful action. Who and what organizations will continue the work? What are the short term tactical steps in developing a framework proposal?

Deliverables
1. Meeting summary
2. Beginning of consensus recommendations to harmonize local, state and federal policy
3. White paper summarizing the event, policy recommendations and next steps. Input from participants will be used to finalize a white paper on developing a national regulatory framework for AVs, addressing the session goals. Final versions of the white paper will be made available through TRB and ITS America, among others.