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Hearing held on automated vehicles
Michael Yoder//October 29, 2019
State legislators and members of the public got a glimpse Monday morning of a possible near future transportation option during a demonstration and hearing on automated vehicles in downtown Harrisburg.
A public hearing was held in the Capitol Building’s House Democratic Caucus Room at which State Rep. Patty Kim, D-Dauphin, had requested individuals testify on legislation that would allow PennDOT to authorize the operation of an automated shuttle on approved routes. The hearing also featured other state representatives, including Policy Chair Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, Rep. Jim Marshall, R-Beaver, and Rep. Greg Rothman, R-Cumberland.
Marshall has introduced H.B. 1078 that would give PennDOT authority over automated shuttle routes.
Testifying at the hearing were panelists Leslie Richards, secretary of PennDOT, Steve D’Ettorre, deputy secretary of technology and innovation for the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, John Lawn, CEO of Hershey Entertainment and Eric Rensel, vice president of advanced mobility for Gannett Fleming and a representative of the Automated Vehicle Coalition (AVC).
Rensel testified that Gannett Fleming was a co-founder of the AVC because it sees the promise that automated vehicles holds as a transportation option in places like crowded cities, using them as “first- and last-mile solutions” to congestion.
“We can use this technology to supplement existing transportation options, combine it with modern approaches to planning and paying for journeys, and create a complete transportation system that serves all users,” Rensel said. “We can use this technology as part of a mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) ecosystem that supports smart communities across Pennsylvania so that transportation is not a barrier to earning a living.”
After the hearing, attendees were able to ride on an automated shuttle built by Virginia-based company Perrone Robotics, riding around downtown Harrisburg.
