Autonomous vehicles may soon hit Hamilton streets

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Published November 19, 2019 at 3:27 pm

Hamilton may soon become a testing ground for autonomous vehicles.

Hamilton may soon become a testing ground for autonomous vehicles.

A motion that was passed at the Public Works Committee meeting on Monday (Nov. 18), enables the Public Works GM to formalize negotiations to establish a ‘test bed’ for connected and autonomous vehicles.

“The Province’s Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN), has selected Hamilton as one of six Regional Technology Demonstration Sites through the Innovation Factory’s (iF) Centre for Integrated Transportation and Mobility (CITM) as a smart mobility site,” the motion says.

A test bed would feature state-of-the-art sensors and communication equipment installed on municipal roadways.

The vehicles that would be testing on Hamilton streets would have a driver at all times, Public Works staff confirmed. The driver must be ready to assume control at all times and the vehicles act as a co-pilot and manage most safety-critical driving functions.

The public Test Bed is proposed to be generally located along the following roads:

  • Stone Church Road from Upper Gage Avenue to Dartnall Road;
  • Rymal Road from Upper Gage Avenue to Dartnall Road;
  • Upper Gage Avenue from Stone Church Road to Rymal Road;
  • Upper Ottawa Street from Stone Church Road to Rymal Road; and
  • Dartnall Road from Stone Church Road to Rymal Road.

The CITM is also working to implement a private test bed located at the McMaster Innovation Park and Can-Met building which will be deployed in advance of the public test bed.

The motion says that the test bed would allow “start-ups and CITM to test communication and sensor technology in a live urban environment without impacting live city service.”

Councillor Terry Whitehead was enthusiastic in his support of the motion, saying he wants Hamilton to “be at the forefront for investment opportunities.”

A test bed in Hamilton, if formalized, would be operational by spring 2020 and any costs associated with the installation of technology would not fall on the municipality.

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