New Mobility: Prepare to be Disrupted

Description

At the turn of the century, personal mobility underwent a historic change: the replacement of the horse and cart by the automobile. We are on the verge of another dramatic change in mobility and it’s “ACES” – that is, autonomous, connected, electric and shared.

ACES technology is attracting billions in investment from the major automakers like Daimler, and from technology firms like Google. Autonomous vehicles have the potential to substantially reduce the cost of mobility and change how cities are developed. The increasing use of shared mobility services, from ReachNow to Uber and beyond, will only accelerate if autonomous and electric technology further reduce per-mile costs. In fact, a report by Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLC predicts that the U.S. vehicle fleet could drop by as much as 99%.

Cheaper autonomous mobility will also make it more attractive to make longer commutes, encourage sprawl, and could actually make traffic worse. Transportation and land use decisions are usually made over long term planning horizons of up to 20 years, but disruptive mobility technologies are making this planning increasingly difficult. Many local governments are working to prepare for these technologies; for example, Mayor Ted Wheeler launched the Smart Autonomous Vehicle Initiative to prepare the metro-area for the introduction of autonomous vehicles.

Metro, the Portland regional government agency, has been a leader in integrating land use and transportation planning for decades. Guest speaker Eliot Rose, Senior Technology Strategist, will share how Metro and the region are addressing the new challenges and opportunities of autonomous, connected, electric, and shared transportation.
 

Guest Speaker

Eliot Rose, Senior Technology Strategist, Metro

Eliot Rose is the Technology Strategist at Metro, the regional planning agency for the Portland metropolitan area. He is responsible for developing plans and policies to ensure that automated vehicles, shared mobility services, and other emerging transportation technologies support the Portland region’s goals. Prior to joining Metro, he worked as a consultant helping transportation agencies around the US plan for new transportation technologies and address challenging issues such as social equity, public health, electric vehicle readiness, and climate action. Eliot holds a Master's Degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley.