Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure is looking to “demystify” automated vehicles and now has a substantial grant to work toward that goal.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is committing $410,539 to the city department to increase public engagement and outreach on the testing and deployment of automated vehicles.
The city is receiving funding because of its participation in a Knight Foundation program along with the cities of Detroit, San Jose and Miami. The grant is for three years starting in late 2019.
“This generous grant will allow the city to offer authentic participation by the public on autonomous vehicle policies, testing and deployment,” said DOMI Director Karina Ricks.
About seven in 10 Americans don’t want anything to do with self-driving cars, according to an American Automobile Association survey.
The grant announcement follows the public release last month of DOMI’s first summary of findings on autonomous vehicle testing in the city. It lists data on the kinds of vehicles being tested around Pittsburgh, in what neighborhoods, the safety provisions being used and job creation by the growing industry, according to a release from the city.
