Beverly Hills Proposes Autonomous Transit System
CARS.COM — We’re not sure if Bentley or Mercedes-Benz are currently developing an autonomous-driving Continental or G-Class, but they might want to start thinking about it. That iconic enclave for the rich and famous — Beverly Hills, Calif. — is moving forward with a plan to use self-driving cars as public transportation.
Related: Study: Car Sharing, Technology Will Drive the Future
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Beverly Hills City Council voted unanimously last week in favor of adopting a resolution to develop a public transportation system based on driverless vehicles. A city-owned fleet of autonomous vehicles would function as a shuttle service on-demand via smartphone from any address in the city, the publication reported.
Proponents of the plan say that with a total area of less than 6 miles and a famously affluent population, the iconic 90210 ZIP code is both tiny and tony enough to be prime testing ground in a grander experiment in feasibility. The Verge reported that Beverly Hills Mayor John Mirisch said the town’s mild climate and well-maintained streets, along with its small size, make it “well-suited to [this] individualized, convenient, and efficient local public transportation.”
Beverly Hills would eventually install a network of fiber-optic cable throughout the city that would allow autonomous vehicles to communicate with the city’s electronic grid and each other, The Verge reported. But the first steps include exploring possible partnerships with the likes of Google and Tesla, adopting policies, establishing a pilot program and allocating funds.
Officials say the autonomous transit system wouldn’t replace the city’s traditional public transportation, but instead supplement it. Which naturally leads us to the question: Do people ride the bus in Beverly Hills?
