Giving Compass' Take:

• Bryan K. Barnett, mayor of Rochester Hills, Michigan, shares the potential and promise he and other mayors see for the future of autonomous vehicles.

• How can philanthropy work to support the use of autonomous vehicles to help those in need? How can philanthropy help to mitigate the potential problems of autonomous vehicles? 

• Find out how Minnesota is working to reach zero highway deaths.

During June’s 86th Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, I had the privilege of moderating a panel of mayors and industry experts on the topic of “Autonomous Vehicles and the American City.” The evolution and adoption of AVs will change our cities and the way we live, forever.

Recent surveys suggest that most Americans (70 percent) believe autonomous vehicles will be quite common within 15 years. But 74 percent say they don’t expect to have one and 65 percent say they wouldn’t want to walk or ride a bicycle anywhere near one.

When it comes to public funding, studies suggest that AVs will reduce revenue streams from traditional sources like parking, parking tickets, traffic citations, as well as prompt changes in use of mass transit, and reduction of sales tax collections on fuel, given AV electrification. We’re asking ourselves: Will distance-based road charges replace lost fuel tax revenue, as Bloomberg Philanthropies believes could happen?

And who will get the traffic citations in the event of an accident involving AVs?

We expect job loss to stem from the growth of AVs, especially within the ranks of professional drivers for trucking, transit/taxi, delivery vehicles, and postal service delivery. On the flip side, job growth may come from the conversion of parking structures to other uses and jobs generated through the IT needed for the potentially massive AV roll out.

In addition to providing mobility for non-drivers, older citizens, and the mentally and physically disabled, AVs will improve traffic safety. Currently, 94 percent of U.S. vehicular crashes involve human error and over 35,000 U.S. motorists lose their lives each year in vehicle crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Read the full article about autonomus vehicles by Bryan K. Barnett at Route Fifty.