Nobody Drives in LA? City Should Be Leader in Driverless Cars, Councilman Urges

LOS ANGELES, CA - Councilman David Ryu said Wednesday he wants to get the conversation started in Los Angeles about how city officials could begin planning for when driverless vehicles become part of everyday life.

Los Angeles, with its reputation built on its car culture, should be among the municipalities embracing the emerging technology, Ryu said.

"With Uber launching its first autonomous fleet last week in Pittsburgh, Google test-driving cars in Palo Alto and Tesla adding semi- autonomous functionality to its current road vehicles, we need these companies to focus on the largest market and the one that will benefit most: Los Angeles," he said.

A motion introduced by Ryu today calls on Department of Transportation officials to report back in 45 days on how the city would prepare for "self- driving cars, buses and shuttles" over the next 20 or so years, and what funding or infrastructure will be needed to make the roll-out of autonomous vehicles successful in Los Angeles.

Ryu's motion, which was seconded by Transportation Committee chair Mike Bonin, follows the release this week of federal safety guidelines geared at makers of autonomous vehicles.

Earlier this year, the Los Angeles 2024 Olympics bid committee contemplated a driver-less future when it included in its candidature package the idea of an autonomous vehicle pilot program as part of an array of transportation options envisioned to be in place if the Olympics return to Los Angeles.

City News Service; Photo credit Joseph Thornton, via Flickr/Creative Commons, identified as autonomous car circa 2013