Along for the Ride #204
sponge bob, sylvia, and saffron risotto (and maybe some thoughts on mobility too)
Heya friends, happy Friday!
This week’s edition is dedicated to my dear friend Sylvia, affectionately referred to as “the smartest person in the pub”, but also the last of my closest friends to subscribe to this newsletter. She joked last night as I was cooking dinner (and writing this newsletter in theory), that I had to dedicate this newsletter to her, and so here we are. Congratulations Sylvia, this newsletter is for you 🖤
For the other thousand-ish of you! Welcome back, here’s ze news:
CA Gov. Newsom vetoes AV trucking law
Advocates in favour of further regulation of autonomous trucks were let down this week after California Governor Given Newsom vetoed a proposed bill that would have added additional safety protocols for autonomous trucks (e.g. safety drivers). According to Newsom, the law is unnecessary because California already has two agencies, the DMV and the State Highway Patrol, overseeing and creating regulations for the new technology. I’m glad somebody in the State has faith in the DMV cause it ain’t me.
Montreal wants to build sponge-streets to adapt for climate change
Queue the Sponge Bob theme song playing over, and over, and over again in my head. Sponge-streets are not new; their basic premise is to improve the porosity of city streets by removing asphalt and increasing land that can absorb rain and prevent flooding. It’s a small step-change that can reap impressive results and something I wish San Francisco would consider more of (during last year’s torrential rain atmospheric river, the city started an adopt a drain program to help stormwater clearance).
The more you know:
Austin residents continue to share concerns about Cruise’s vehicles and ask for deeper city-level regulations (The Daily Texan)
Cruise still plans to launch in Houston later this year, despite significant concerns in Austin and San Francisco (Houston Public Media)
Dubai will start AV trials next month (CNN)
DC plans ebike vouchers to help curb car usage (WashPo)
As auto workers strike, what does that mean for AV companies like Cruise?
As auto workers for the US’ three main car companies (Ford, GM, and Stellantis aka Chrysler) are on strike to negotiate better working conditions, the question of how this impacts the AV industry lingers. For companies like Cruise (owned by GM), the impact seems outsized. First up, Teamsters has asked regulators to deny Cruise’s safety exemption for their Origin vehicle (the shared shuttle model produced by GM). In addition, there’s a solidarity strike this Saturday in San Francisco (Sep. 30th) at a Cruise lot in San Francisco to demonstrate support for the union at large.
Only time will tell how this impacts the wider AV industry, but one thing that’s clear is that some level of impact / disruption is guaranteed.
Filed under: start-up spin. Waabi, a Canadian start-up that has recently started working with Uber Freight has a puff piece in the BBC about why they crash their vehicles as part of their safety testing regime. [Waabi’s founder was also the head of Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group for almost four years…]
I think anybody working in any type of mobility—be it trains, planes, automobiles, or bikes—will tell you this is a fairly standard safety test. However, Waabi seems keen to make a PR moment out of it (and as a tech start-up, it is their god-given right to do so). So yes, they do these (fairly standard, good practice) tests with real trucks, but they also run tests with an AI-powered simulator. I award them one gold star.
Cruise joins the call to ban human drivers in city centres
Cruise’s CEO went on the record saying he would support a ban on all human drivers in city centres. Sometimes people are really *this close* to getting it, and yet still miss the mark. Replacing human drivers with robot cars is not revolutionary. They’re still cars. If he’d suggested replacing them with more buses and mass transit that reach new geographies with improved frequencies, or protected bike lanes and widened sidewalks.. that would have caught my attention. But this band-aid solution to a systems-wide problem does not impress me much (à la Shania Twain).
The more you know!
Mercedes-Benz launches their level 3 “cyber sedan” (ABC / Youtube)
Amazon’s Zoox plans to build a manufacturing facility in the East Bay (Biz Journals)
On urban density, employment, transit access, and COVID-19
“Previous research has explored the effect of the built environment on the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This study extends the existing literature by examining the relationship between pandemic prevalence and density, employment, and transit factors at the county level..”
Are AVs leaving people with disabilities behind?
“Alongside the current problems those with disabilities face when booking taxis, we highlighted their concerns for future, self-driving taxis. The main concern was the availability of human assistance to meet specific user needs throughout the journey.”
Why don’t we just build new cities?
“We start new companies, new schools, new neighborhoods all the time. Why not a new San Francisco, Boston, or Miami? The yearning for a blank slate crosses the ideological spectrum, touching socialists, antidevelopment activists, curious policy makers, and, most recently, Silicon Valley investors attempting to build a city from scratch..”
This is essentially a really random of Atlantic commenters sharing their POV on autonomous vehicles, with the overall consensus being skepticism. “Our century-long love affair with all things automotive dooms the driverless concept to a niche market.”
good news. I am planning to revamp my guidelines for contributing to the newsletter in October. I love having guest contributors and lately things have felt too busy / in-motion in my life to organize it, but I’m hoping to get back on the bang-wagon through the end of the year. If you’re interested in any way / shape / form, please reach out!
Reminder: I prioritize contributions from people from diverse backgrounds spanning race, gender, sexuality, age, ability, income, and more. Contributors are paid a stipend.
As I wrote today’s newsletter and caught up with Sylvia, I was also making this lemon and saffron risotto, and it’s that perfect end-of-summer meal. Light and citrus-y like summer, but warm and buttery like autumn. 20/10 would recommend to a friend.
Last weekend I bopped around the Bay on my beloved bike Mildred. We rolled through the East Bay last Saturday, taking advantage of car-free Niles Canyon. Once a year, the Canyon opens up for a stroll and roll event and this year it could not have been on a more gorgeous day. Here’s to more car-free streets, sunny Saturdays, and beautiful bike rides made more accessible by mass transit <3
That’s all from me. Have a beautiful weekend friends.
Sarah
