The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) plans to develop a self-driving vehicle lane on Interstate 94, and it wants the public's feedback.
Approximately three miles of the pilot project is set up on the highway. It is proposed to eventually span 39 miles from Ann Arbor to Detroit.
The proposed lane would be reserved for connected and automated vehicles. Although connected vehicles aren’t driving themselves yet, they are equipped to communicate with other vehicles.
MDOT examined the project's impact on the environment and surrounding communities. It released an 80-page environmental assessment.
Anyone is welcome to provide feedback, said Michele Mueller, who oversees connected and automated driving technologies at MDOT.
“It can be commuting traffic, it can be people who live in the area, people who have businesses in the area,” Mueller said. “It's wide open.”
MDOT is hosting three public meetings today at the Van Buren Township Hall. State officials will provide information on the project.
If completed, the project would improve safety and decrease congestion along the heavily-traveled stretch of I-94 between Ann Arbor and Detroit, Mueller said. That’s because the technology used in automated cars reacts faster than a human driver, she said. That may not be the case for connected vehicles, according to recent research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Source: Michigan Public, MLive
