Autonomous Symmetry
Preparing cities for self-driving vehicles
Preparing cities for self-driving vehicles
Future autonomous freeway from above - no cover
Existing freeways were not designed for the superior lane merging of autonomous vehicles, nor were they made straight enough for zooming through cities at one hundred twenty mile per hour. Because of autonomous vehicles' physically light touch, autonomous freeways will only need a fraction of the concrete and steel that existing freeways need, but will carry three times the traffic volume at high velocities. If planned with big ambitions and big maps, autonomous freeways could go more places and be physically cushioned to be visually pleasing and audibly unnoticeable.
Autonomous freeway underpass - Atlanta
Peachtree Street
There are two questions Autonomous Symmetry answers. First, what will be the new traffic chokepoints on existing infrastructure as vehicles with autonomous features become ubiquitous? Second, what new purpose-built infrastructure for autonomous vehicles will be built beginning in the next fifteen years and beyond? The most competitive downtowns will have fast, easy-to-scale autonomous freeways. I am developing autonomous freeway maps, autonomous mobility algorithms, cost models, and legal strategies so cities can avoid hard delayed expansions for both of these transitions to full autonomous mobility.
One metropolis, but where to put Dallas's autonomous central business district?
Existing freeways are not designed for one hundred twenty mile per hour movement in comfort, nor can they benefit from autonomous vehicles' superior lane merging, lightness, and the ability for newer vehicles to have nearly zero harmful emissions. New dedicated guideways only need a fraction of the structural steel and concrete as traditional freeway bridges. Businesses want plans and maps for where new, fast, easy-to-scale autonomous freeways could go and legal agreements that can make a city more flexible in advance. That is why I am developing autonomous freeway maps and models so cities can hard tradeoffs and slow expansions in the future.