When are Automated Vehicles coming to Central Florida?

Orlando has been focused on expanding transit options across the region to ensure that Orlando is front and center when it comes to development and deployment of cutting-edge transit technology – according to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer during his State of the City Address. It’s especially exciting to follow the innovation-transportation news about automated vehicles and how they are impacting Central Florida. So, when are Automated Vehicles coming to Central Florida?

• Central Florida has been designated one of 10 proving ground pilot sites to encourage testing and information sharing around automated vehicle technologies. Efforts are  being led by The Central Florida Automated Vehicle Partners.

• There are five designated levels of automation. A level two example is Tesla autopilot. Level 3 is expected to be reached by 2020 when all safety-critical functions are done by the vehicle, but the driver’s situational awareness is still required. Level 4 is high automation with no driver present then 2025 and beyond where no driver is needed, not even for extreme environments.

Credit: FL/DOT SunTrax

• In 2016, state lawmakers passed a bill allowing the testing of autonomous vehicles on public roads without the presence of a driver in the vehicle. To meet the need for testing in a controlled environment, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise and its partners are creating a test facility. Located off I-4 between Orlando and Tampa, SunTrax is a large-scale, cutting-edge facility dedicated to the research, development and testing of emerging transportation technologies in safe and controlled environments.The first phase of SunTrax is expected to open in April of 2019, less than a year away.

Orlando has been focused on expanding transit options across the region to ensure that Orlando is front and center when it comes to development and deployment of cutting-edge transit technology – according to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer during his State of the City Address. It’s especially exciting to follow the innovation-transportation news about automated vehicles and how they are impacting Central Florida. So, when are Automated Vehicles coming to Central Florida?

• Central Florida has been designated one of 10 proving ground pilot sites to encourage testing and information sharing around automated vehicle technologies. Efforts are  being led by The Central Florida Automated Vehicle Partners.

• There are five designated levels of automation. A level two example is Tesla autopilot. Level 3 is expected to be reached by 2020 when all safety-critical functions are done by the vehicle, but the driver’s situational awareness is still required. Level 4 is high automation with no driver present then 2025 and beyond where no driver is needed, not even for extreme environments.

Credit: FL/DOT SunTrax

• In 2016, state lawmakers passed a bill allowing the testing of autonomous vehicles on public roads without the presence of a driver in the vehicle. To meet the need for testing in a controlled environment, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise and its partners are creating a test facility. Located off I-4 between Orlando and Tampa, SunTrax is a large-scale, cutting-edge facility dedicated to the research, development and testing of emerging transportation technologies in safe and controlled environments.The first phase of SunTrax is expected to open in April of 2019, less than a year away.