The U.S. Department of Transportation has picked San Diego County as one of 10 proving grounds for autonomous vehicles.
Testing will take place on the Interstate 15 express lanes, the South Bay Expressway toll road and surface streets in Chula Vista, according to SANDAG. The regional planning agency announced the partnership last week.
“We are at the start of a new transportation era, and it’s tremendously exciting for our region to be part of a national initiative to foster innovations and best practices that will enable the safe deployment of driverless vehicles,” said SANDAG Chairman Ron Roberts, a county supervisor.
The nationwide pilot will bring together auto manufacturers, local cities, public agencies and private companies to test autonomous vehicles in different environments.
SANDAG, Caltrans, and the City of Chula Vista jointly applied to the federal government to participate in the project, and received support from Toyota, Qualcomm, Teradata, and DENSO International America.
“This is great news for the City of Chula Vista,” said Chula Vista Mayor Mary Casillas Salas. “We look forward to working with the USDOT, SANDAG, and Caltrans in transforming transportation by testing the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles.”
