The Interstate 5 replacement bridge must comprehend the needs of our community well into the future. This means the new bridge requires the additional capacity and flexibility to accommodate unmanned autonomous vehicles, co-existing with manned vehicles and dedicated lanes for unmanned vehicles. Over time, the bridge will need to transition from being primarily used by human drivers to primarily being used by driverless vehicles transporting goods and humans.
In March, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration approved vehicles without steering wheels and pedals, paving the way for autonomous vehicles. Also in March, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers approved a global standard safety assurance framework for automated vehicles. Autonomous vehicles are coming, and we need to be planning road infrastructure accordingly. Now is not the time to be short-sighted – this is a once-in-a-lifetime decision.
Helen Gould, Portland
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