September 27, 2017                                                                                                Sean Broderick (ATI21), 202-355-9466

Advanced Vehicle Autonomy:  Sci-Fi Dream or Soon-to-Be Reality?

Autos2050℠ Event Announced for Nation’s Capital in January

Washington, D.C. – The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (Auto Alliance) and the Alliance for Transportation Innovation (ATI21) today announced the first annual Autos2050℠ Conference and ”Driving Innovation Awards” dinner to be held Wednesday, January 24, 2018 at the Marriott Marquis in conjunction with the 2018 Washington, DC Auto Show.

Autos2050℠ will focus on the crossroads of public policy and automotive technology, bringing together leaders from across the automotive ecosystem, along other high tech innovators, lawmakers, policy advocates and stakeholders, including the international community.

“This is a transformative moment in mobility,” said Mitch Bainwol, president and CEO, Auto Alliance, “one that will forever be defined and shaped by the fusion of emerging technology and evolving public policy. Autos2050℠ – set squarely within the epicenter of federal activity in this area – will dissect the issues and offer careful analysis and perspectives by thought leaders and policy experts.”

“There are multiple layers of debate about how to best advance autonomy in the transportation sector,” said Paul Brubaker, CEO and President of ATI21.  “We chose the name ‘Autos2050℠’ because actions today will determine what auto-mobility looks like in 2050, a time when self-driving vehicles will be commonplace on our roads.”

The 2018 conference will focus on three themes:

• The Future of Self-Driving:  Is Level 5 the Holy Grail of Autonomy? Some people see self-driving as a long-range evolution, while others seek to leap-frog ahead to full autonomy.  What is a realistic timeline for realizing the benefits of self-driving, and is there a best way forward?
• Sensors, AI and Machine Learning:  Separating the Hype from Reality. When will the underlying technologies that enable self-driving become available, affordable and integrated into the fleet?  What barriers lie in the road ahead, and how can self-driving cars get around them?
• Connectivity, Data and Cybersecurity:  Maximizing the Benefits and Minimizing the Risks.  The volume of data required to operate a self-driving vehicle will increase exponentially as sensors, programs and computing capacity becomes faster, more sophisticated and data-driven.  How can we ensure a secure future?

The conference will open with the “National Leadership in Auto Innovation” luncheon, with an award acknowledging the contributions of the keynote speaker – to be announced soon. This luncheon is being held jointly with the “International Mobility Talks” conference sponsored by the Washington, DC Auto Show in the morning of January 24 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Dinner to Celebrate Those Making Future Advancements a Reality Today

Separate from the conference, the Alliance and ATI21 will also host the “Driving Innovation Awards” reception and dinner beginning at 8 pm on January 24 at the Marriott Marquis. This  event will recognize industry and policy leaders who are shaping the future of the automobile and greater mobility.

Registration Open Online Now

For more information and to register for the Autos2050℠ Conference/luncheon and the “Driving Innovation Awards” dinner, visit Autos2050.com.

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The Alliance for Transportation Innovation (ATI21) is a consortium of transportation technology innovators, subject matter experts, and researchers. The consortium is dedicated to increasing public and stakeholder awareness of the transformative safety, sociological, and economic improvements that can be realized through the accelerated development and deployment of advanced transportation technologies. Visit www.ati21.org.

The Auto Alliance is a trade association representing 12 automakers. Together, our mission is to promote policies that allow automakers the freedom and control to build cars and light trucks that are safe, reliable, energy-efficient, clean and smart — all so our customers can enjoy greater peace of mind as they go about their daily lives. Visit www.autoalliance.org.

As Congress considers a key piece of legislation that would keep the momentum of self-driving cars—and the safety, environmental, and other benefits they bring—building, the Coalition is conducting special outreach to underscore the importance of ensuring our regulations and infrastructure consider self-driving vehicles.

Below is an ad from the campaign calling on Congress to “Greenlight autonomous vehicles.” There’s also a dedicated website, social outreach, and more.

Here are the Coalition’s big-picture priorities:

• Ensure Congress is providing clarity concerning appropriate federal and state roles when it comes to highly automated vehicles, particularly any state laws or regulations related to their design or performance;
• Ensure Congress is directing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to initiate rulemaking to update the current vehicle safety standards that do not contemplate highly automated vehicles; and
• Expand Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard exemptions, in number, duration and categories, to provide a safe mechanism for deploying highly automated vehicles.

For more on the coalition, visit its website, and support the #GreenlightAVs campaign by visiting the dedicated website, www.greenlightselfdriving.com and sending Congress an email!

Designing roads and other infrastructure with autonomous vehicles in mind–by including sensors, for instance–will be a key step in advancing the technology and maximizing its benefits, says ATI21’s Paul Brubaker. Read AP’s summary of the Atlanta trials for more.

“Bill is in perfect alignment with our mission at ATI21,” said Paul Brubaker, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance for Transportation Innovation. “At this critical moment in transportation technology, Bill and GRIDSMART are embracing innovation and challenging their competitors to do the same. That kind of thinking will be crucial to success as we create a path to the future of transportation.”

Malkes echoed the sentiment. “The Alliance for Transportation Innovation is bringing together the organizations, advocating for innovation and asking the difficult questions that will help define the future of mobility. At GRIDSMART, that’s exactly the kind of leadership we value and we’re extremely honored to have a voice in that conversation.”

Malkes will likely be busy in his new role. In the last year, ATI21 has published a comprehensive National Strategic Framework for accelerating the deployment of autonomous vehicles, undertaken America’s first coast to coast tour of autonomous vehicle technology and testified before Congress and multiple state legislatures on the critical need for adoption of emerging transportation technologies. “The transportation industry is evolving rapidly. Over the next decade, we’ll see incredible advances in technology, convenience and safety and in ATI21, we have a catalyst and a servant of the public good,” said Malkes.

GRIDSMART Technologies, Inc. is a leader in intelligent transportation systems as the world’s only single camera solution for intersection actuation, traffic data collection, and situational awareness. The GRIDSMART System uniquely collects and interprets vital traffic data to adjust signal timing and traffic flow strategies and enables real-time remote monitoring and visual assessment.

The GRIDSMART System is currently deployed in 22 countries and 49 states. For more information about GRIDSMART, please visit www.gridsmart.com.

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About GRIDSMART Technologies, Inc.:

Founded in 2006, GRIDSMART is a Knoxville, Tennessee based company backed by venture capital investment from across the United States. GRIDSMART systems include the industry’s only open API, built-in replay functionality, and a published change log. GRIDSMART products are built to be Simple, Flexible, and Transparent. For more information, visit gridsmart.com.

The Alliance for Transportation Innovation (ATI21)

ATI21 is a Washington D.C. based association that brings together transportation technology innovators, subject matter experts, and researchers committed to accelerating the adoption of innovative technologies that will transform the safe and efficient movement of people and goods. For more information visit the ATI21 website at www.ati21.org.

INTERSECT17

INTERSECT, the annual high-tech transportation conference created by GRIDSMART Technologies, Inc., will be held on November 14-16 at the company’s global headquarters in Knoxville, TN. Presented this year by the non-profit Alliance for Transportation Innovation (ATI21), INTERSECT17 will bring together top-tier industry and government leaders, distributors and innovators to ask tough questions, address difficult issues and seek solutions that will position the intelligent transportation industry and general public for success as it evolves. Over the course of three days with the theme “It’s time we had ‘The Talk,’” INTERSECT17 will attempt to map out and predict the path from transportation-now to transportation-future. For more information, please click here.

January 9, 2017

The Honorable John Thune
Chairman
Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation
United States Senate
Washington DC, 20510

The Honorable Bill Nelson
Ranking Member
Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation
United States Senate
Washington DC, 20510

Dear Chairman Thune, Ranking Member Nelson, and Honorable Members of the Committee:

I am writing to you on behalf of the members of the Alliance for Transportation Innovation (ATI21) to urge your swift confirmation of the Hon. Elaine L. Chao as the nation’s next U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

We believe her record of strong leadership and her familiarity with transportation issues will serve the American people well. Furthermore, we are encouraged by her experience gathered from working in several federal agencies over her career, which we think will especially help the incoming Administration tackle the very important issue of self-driving vehicles and coordinate the best approach among numerous jurisdictions for enabling these life-changing technologies as soon as possible.

Secretary-designate Chao enters the position at a time when technology is a viable yet under-utilized solution for advancing our important transportation safety and mobility objectives. The lack of a workable federal standard and an increase in the number of misguided individual state regulatory schemes has resulted in the current policy quagmire that to date has slowed the deployment of self-driving solutions.

The nominee, however, is reason for hope in this era of stifling regulation and government overreach, as we believe she will choose progress over heavy-handed regulation, and work with our industry to find a way to let innovators create a safer driving experience – without delay – for the benefit of all citizens, especially those who are unable to drive themselves.

Our members consider Ms. Chao an ally in the drive to change the lives of the enabled and disabled, restore freedom of mobility to senior citizens, and save countless lives of people from coast to coast – forever. It is for these reasons that the members of the Alliance for Transportation Innovation ask you to move ahead confidently with the approval of Ms. Chao as our next Secretary of Transportation so that we can get to work with her on the issues that will revolutionize and improve every facet of American life.

Sincerely,

Paul R. Brubaker
President & CEO
The Alliance for Transportation Innovation
1250 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20036

The members of the national Alliance for Transportation Innovation look forward to working with Secretary-designate Chao on development of the regulatory and policy framework needed to take full advantage of technology that today is capable of safely driving our cars, flying our aircraft, delivering goods to businesses and homes, and increasing the capacity of our congested urban freeways.

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About The Alliance for Transportation Innovation (ATI21.org)

The Alliance for Transportation Innovation (ATI21.org) is a visionary association dedicated to advancing transportation technology from self-driving cars to aviation, futuristic transit to drones, all while collapsing the innovation cycle which is a critical link in the safe and timely deployment of Intelligent Transportation solutions. For more information, please visit www.ATI21.org.