Could Autonomous Vehicles Add to Congestion

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A road network buzzing with self-driving cars may not be as far away as you might think. A variety of autonomous vehicles are expected to debut within the next five years and industry experts predict full-scale adoption within the next 30 years. But what will this mean for our transportation systems?

Some planners predict a decreased demand for parking if AVs are used as part of the on-demand services like Uber and Lyft. Another potential consequence could be increased vehicle miles traveled if those using AVs to commute are willing to commute further with more free time at their disposal. 

Changes like these could have huge impacts on both our land use and transportation systems, freeing up land for redevelopment as demand for parking lots decreases, but potentially encouraging the sprawl of metropolitan areas. 

For more information, check out Skip Descant’s article on govtech.com.