BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING
Senator Jim Beall, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: AB 1592 Hearing Date: 6/14/2016
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|Author: |Bonilla |
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|Version: |6/6/2016 |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |No |
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|Consultant|Randy Chinn |
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SUBJECT: Autonomous vehicles: pilot project
DIGEST: This bill authorizes the Contra Costa Transportation
Authority (CCTA) to conduct a pilot project for the testing of
autonomous vehicles under specified conditions.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1)Authorizes the operation of autonomous vehicles on public
roads for testing purposes under certain circumstances
specified in regulations adopted by the Department of Motor
Vehicles (DMV). Insurance of $5 million is required of the
manufacturer
2)Requires DMV, by January 1, 2015, to adopt regulations setting
forth requirements for the application to operate autonomous
vehicles on public roads for non-testing purposes
3)Requires the application submitted to DMV for the operation of
autonomous vehicles on public roads for non-testing purposes
to include a certification from the manufacturer that the
vehicle allows the operator to take control through the use of
the brake, the accelerator pedal, or the steering wheel
AB 1592 (Bonilla) Page 2 of ?
4)Requires DMV to approve an application submitted by a
manufacturer for the operation of autonomous vehicles for
non-testing purposes if DMV finds that the applicant has
submitted all information and completed testing necessary to
satisfy DMV that the autonomous vehicles are safe to operate
on public roads and the applicant has complied with all
requirements specified in DMV regulations
5)Authorizes DMV to impose additional requirements it deems
necessary to ensure the safe operation of autonomous vehicles
if those vehicles are capable of operating without the
presence of a driver inside the vehicle, including the
presence of a driver in the driver's seat of the vehicle, if
DMV determines that such a requirement is necessary to ensure
the safe operation of those vehicles on public roads
6)Requires DMV to notify the Legislature of the receipt and
approval of an application from a manufacturer seeking to
operate autonomous vehicles capable of operating without the
presence of a driver inside the vehicle on public roads for
non-testing purposes
This bill:
Authorizes the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) to
conduct a pilot project for the testing of autonomous vehicles
that do not have an operator and are not equipped with a
steering wheel, brake pedal, or an accelerator, provided that:
1)The vehicle operates at less than 35 miles per hour
2)The testing is conducted only at a privately owned business
park designated by CCTA or at the GoMentum Station located
within the boundaries of the former Concord Naval Weapons
Station
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. The author has observed that autonomous vehicle
technologies are evolving at a rapid pace and states that it
is critical that California supports further development of
such technologies to improve mobility, increase road safety,
reduce parking and traffic congestion, meet our state's
AB 1592 (Bonilla) Page 3 of ?
climate change goals, and keep jobs and technology innovation
in California. As a state, we cannot allow auto
manufacturers, software companies, engineers, and scientists -
and the jobs, technology, and innovation they bring -to leave
our state. Currently, other states such as Michigan, Texas,
Arizona, and Nevada are attracting the business and innovation
as a result of state investment and more favorable regulations
pertaining to autonomous vehicles. It is imperative that we
remove barriers to the testing and development of autonomous
vehicles, according to the author.
2)Who and where? The CCTA is a public agency responsible for
maintaining and improving Contra Costa Countys transportation
system by planning, funding, and delivering transportation
infrastructure projects and programs. CCTA is also the
county's designated Congestion Management Agency (CMA),
responsible for putting programs in place to keep traffic
levels manageable. This bill authorizes CCTA to conduct an
autonomous vehicle pilot program in two places. The first is
at Bishop Ranch in San Ramon, a large business park which is
crossed and bordered by several major streets. Bishop Ranch
houses major corporate tenants such as AT&T, GE, and Toyota.
It is bordered by shopping centers and a middle school. The
second location is known as the GoMentum Station, a 2,100 acre
test bed located within the footprint of the former Concord
Naval Weapons Station, with over 20 miles of paved road. The
GoMentum Station is a secured test site inaccessible to the
public. That will change as the property is turned over to
the City of Concord, which could subsequently open the
property to the public and authorize development.
3)Waiting. The DMV's autonomous vehicle testing program
regulations were adopted May 19, 2014, and are effective now.
Those regulations, consistent with existing law, do not permit
the testing of autonomous vehicles without a driver or driving
controls. The DMV's regulations for autonomous vehicles for
non-testing purposes are long overdue and not expected soon.
Draft regulations, which were published in December 2015,
required autonomous vehicles, for non-testing purposes, to
also have a driver and driving controls. This provision was
criticized by many autonomous vehicle manufacturers.
Meanwhile, the federal government is also developing
autonomous vehicle rules and policies. In January, the
National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
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said it would propose best-practice guidance to the auto
industry on establishing principles of safe operation for
fully autonomous vehicles. NHTSA is also working with the
American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators to
develop model state autonomous vehicle policies by July.
California's DMV is chairing this working group.
4)Revising testing protocols. This bill changes the autonomous
vehicle testing protocols established by SB 1298 (Padilla,
Chapter 570, Statutes of 2012) by deleting the requirement for
a driver and manually operable controls. Also eliminated are
the requirements for $5 million in liability insurance and
reporting requirements on accidents and autonomous technology
disengagements. But some assurance is prudent to ensure that
the state of California is not on the hook in the unfortunate
event of a serious accident. And reporting on the track
record of the autonomous technology when it is exposed to the
public in the business park will help the DMV in developing
its autonomous vehicle regulations. The author and committee
may wish to consider reinstating the $5 million liability
insurance requirement and the reporting of accidents and
malfunctions during the operation in the business park.
5)What's the record? Autonomous vehicles have been permitted
for testing on California roads since 2014, accumulating over
400,000 miles of travel. Since then, 15 accidents have been
reported, five of which occurred when the vehicles were
operated manually. Most of these accidents involved no or
very minor damage and injury. The DMV also requires reporting
on the instances when the autonomous driving function is
disabled, either because of a technology failure or when the
driver disables the function for safety reasons. Google,
which has tested autonomous vehicles on California roads far
more than anyone else, reported 341 instances of disengagement
since 2014. This is a small number given the number of miles
traveled, but not insignificant, as the pilot program
authorized by this bill will not have a driver to take over
the vehicle.
Unlike the GoMentum Station which is, for now, a
closed-to-the-public testing facility, Bishop Ranch is a
bustling, heavily trafficked business park located in the city
of San Ramon. Currently, CCTA is planning on deploying
EasyMile driverless shuttles, low-speed electric vehicles with
a 12-passenger capacity. These vehicles have been used in a
AB 1592 (Bonilla) Page 5 of ?
number of campus-like environments in Europe since late 2014.
Concerns about the use of unmanned autonomous vehicles in this
location are mitigated by the support of the San Ramon Police
Department for the bill.
6)Privacy. Some have raised concerns about the privacy of the
users of autonomous vehicles in that their comings and goings
can be tracked. The author and committee may wish to consider
collecting only information related to the operation of the
vehicle and its environment and that the information may not
be used for marketing or other commercial purposes.
7)Another California industry. Development of autonomous
vehicles has been good for California and its companies.
Google, Tesla and, perhaps, Apple are leaders in self -
driving technology. And much of the sensor, control, and
mapping technology have links to the Silicon Valley. With the
potential addition of electric car company Faraday Future in
Vallejo, the car industry is rebuilding its presence in
California.
8)Can I get it tomorrow? Many boldly predict that fully
autonomous vehicles will be on the road soon: GM predicts by
2020, as do Ford and Toyota; in 2012, Google predicted it
would have a driverless car on the market by 2018. Uber says
that its fleet will be driverless by 2030. These timeframes
will be greatly impacted by the pace of regulatory
accommodation. As an example, federal motor vehicle safety
standards require all vehicles to have steering wheels,
brakes, and other controls. These standards will need to be
revised if control less vehicles are to be generally available
to the public. More certain is the gradual deployment of
driver assistance technology which will support, but not
supplant the driver, such as adaptive cruise control, lane
keeper assistance, and vehicle to vehicle communication.
9)More to learn. In addition to the technical and regulatory
hurdles, autonomous vehicles will have enormous societal
impacts, particularly with regard to labor markets, which will
affect the speed of its acceptance. Surveys show the general
public does not yet trust autonomous vehicles. And the effect
of autonomous vehicles on congestion and greenhouse gas
emissions are potentially positive, but not well understood.
Related Legislation:
AB 1592 (Bonilla) Page 6 of ?
AB 2682 (Chang) -requires DMV, upon the development of a model
state policy on autonomous vehicles by NHTSA, to hold public
hearings on the model policy and consider, to the extent
authorized by other law, conforming department regulations with
that policy. AB 2682 will be heard in the Senate Transportation
and Housing Committee on June 14, 2016.
SB 1298 (Padilla, Chapter 570, Statutes of 2012) -established
conditions for the operation of autonomous vehicles upon public
roadways.
AB 2258 (Fox, 2014) - would have authorized the City of
Lancaster to research and develop autonomous public buses. This
bill failed in the Assembly Transportation Committee.
Assembly Votes
Floor: 75-0
Trans: 16-0
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local:
No
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on
Wednesday,
June 8, 2016.)
SUPPORT:
Contra Costa Transportation Authority (sponsor)
Alliance for Transportation Innovation
Allstate Insurance Company
American Council of Engineering Companies California
Bay Area Council
Bay Area Rapid Transit District
California Department of Insurance
Central Contra Costa Transit Authority
City of Clayton
City of Concord
City of San Ramon
City of Walnut Creek
Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
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EasyMile
Honda
Intelligent Transportation Systems California
League of California Cities
Metropolitan Transportation Commission
San Ramon Police Department
Sunset Development Company
Stantec
Telecommunications Industry Association
Telegra, Inc.
OPPOSITION:
Amalgamated Transit Union
California Teamsters Public Affairs Council
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