Ohio Cities to Trial Connected AVs

Greg Hyde

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5th December 2018

Four Ohio cities are to serve as testing grounds for autonomous and connected vehicle technology.

Columbus, Athens, Dublin, and Marysville have signed agreements with DriveOhio to test AVs, CVs, and other smart city infrastructure within their respective borders. The work will be carried out under the aegis of DriveOhio and Governor John Kasich’s Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Program. The city of Springboro is also said to be close to signing an agreement for the testing. Dayton, Youngstown, and Cleveland have apparently expressed interest in participation also.

DriveOhio executive director Jim Barna said: “Companies that create technologies for AVs and CVs want to test their innovations in real-world environments”. He claimed: “Ohio offers the best variety of conditions and locations for that … [the] Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Program connects these companies with communities that want to serve as test beds”.

Dublin and Marysville both plan to equip the AVs deployed within their limits with on-board units they say will enable them to communicate with traffic lights and other elements of smart city infrastructure. Data from these communications will then be extracted and sent to police, traffic managers, and other drivers, the Ohio Department of Transportation said.

Dublin city manager Dana McDaniel claimed AVs would “reshape our transportation system … [and] the best way to prepare for an autonomous future is to begin integrating these technologies into our vehicles and infrastructure. Participating in the Pilot Program will make it easier for us to do that”.