They might not have started with pole position, but as the checkered flag gets closer in this IoT 1000 race, Knoxville, Tennessee is making a move on the inside of the Automation marketplace with the announcement of a new plan to become a cutting-edge testbed for connected and autonomous vehicles.
After meeting with transportation leaders from around the nation, Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero will establish a working group of City staff, and public and private regional partners to look into how to make the city the thumping V8 at the heart of America’s Smart Transportation industry.
The mayor met with Bill Malkes, CEO and co-Founder, GRIDSMART; Paul Brubaker, president and CEO, The Alliance for Transportation Innovation; Carlos Braceras, director, Utah DoT; Randy Iwasaki, executive director, Contra Costa Transportation Authority; and Regina Hopper, president and CEO, Intelligent Transportation Society of America.
The region’s four-season climate, hills and flat terrain and its existing technology corridor makes the greater Knoxville area an ideal testing ground for most road and driving conditions to be faced by these vehicles, Rogero said.
“Between technological innovators like GRIDSMART, the research resources at UT and ORNL and our regional automotive manufacturers, Knoxville is a natural place for a connected-vehicle test bed,” she went on. “We are excited by the possibilities and will be exploring ways to put our region at the forefront of intelligent transportation development.”
During the exploratory meeting, the group considered the opportunity as well as potential barriers to success, ultimately deciding the idea warrants deeper consideration. Malkes raised the potential for this idea to generate a new economy for the Knoxville region. “The future of transportation from intersection management to self-driving vehicles is accelerating daily. If done well, this initiative could bring high-tech companies and new jobs to the region,” he said.
Brubaker added, “There’s a finite window. Critical decisions are being made about the future of transportation right now and Knoxville is positioned to be part of it.”
The rest of the country had better start downshifting into the turns if they hope to keep up.
Edited by
Alicia Young
