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  1. You must read the article before you can comment on it.
    • bill
      Top reader of all time
      5 years ago

      The real disaster scenario, planners say, is if millions of car owners decide to trade in their current wheels for their own self-driving cars.

      To create a better future, cities and suburbs around the world need to follow Singapore’s lead and take control of the technology, and they need to do it soon.

      Yeah. Right. This writing is overly opinionated for my taste, although the author does provide some good high-level information & stats on the current state of the AV industry. All the key players are mentioned.

      This is going to be a shitshow. There’s zero percent chance that society (and, specifically, the beaurecrats in control) are going to do what needs to be done to make AVs make sense for everyone. That’s a lunatic pipe dream. The sharing models sound great, but our roads and infrastructure are already shit and municipalities are still struggling to figure out how to handle the Ubers and Airbnbs of the world. There’s no chance.

      Also, this technology is moving way slower than anyone wants to admit. It’s going to arrive feature by feature (better cruise/steer control, parallel parking) in new cars. It’s also going to be a political nightmare at every step of the way.

      • TheManFromNope5 years ago

        I agree that this article paints a Utopian view. Ironically, it did get me to thinking about the pitfalls that face us if cities don't make changes to accommodate these vehicles, and I am now more pessimistic about success than I was. I am worried about disadvantaged areas being excluded, especially if there is not a shared view of (some level of) transportation access as a fundamental right.

        However, I also agree with you that creating a truly self driving car is harder than people know, so these issues are further away than the press predicts. Unfortunately, the engineers have to solve the most difficult problem of interacting with human drivers first, before they are granted access to a self-driving only environment which will be easier to navigate.

        • bill
          Top reader of all time
          5 years ago

          Great comment. And yes - it's hard not to become more pessimistic about AVs the more you read about them.

          "Disadvantaged areas" (in the US and all over the world) are already struggling to get healthcare, medicine, safe water, healthy food, jobs, etc.

          And, of course, "transportation access as a fundamental right" is a can of worms! I just typed up (and deleted) a long and vociferous dissent as well as a a resounding agreement. So I guess I'm just still not sure how I feel about that statement.

          Welcome to rr btw. Good to have you here. Hit me up anytime with feedback/ideas: bill@reallyread.it

    • jamie5 years ago

      This article is exciting and frightening. Huge numbers of driverless cars are coming and they are coming soon. This phenomenon is going to change many things. I am optimistic and believe the good will outweigh the bad. It would be a great time to be a city planner with real vision.....