Engagement: Self-Driving Vehicle Task Force, Stakeholder Meetings, and Greater Minnesota Workshop

TPEC researchers formed a self-driving vehicle (SDV) task force in the spring of 2017 to identify how various deployment strategies could improve mobility and access for transportation-dependent Minnesotans: seniors, people with disabilities, and others who are not able to drive themselves. 

The task force was made up of representatives from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Metro Mobility, local governments, nonprofits, and organizations from the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota. At the close of its work, the task force constructed a Matrix of Users to cross-compare geography, barriers to participation, and potential forms of self-driving transportation. 

As follow-up to the task force, TPEC initiated stakeholder meetings across the state to better understand transportation needs and identify opportunities for connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology. The research team gathered valuable feedback from local officials, stakeholders, and community members. 

TPEC then partnered with several organizations to hold public engagement sessions in Grand Rapids, St. Cloud, Mankato, and Fergus Falls. A workshop in November 2018 in Mankato allowed the research team to share findings from the sessions and give decision makers context and insight from the community discussions. The event was also an opportunity to convey the transportation needs of residents in Greater Minnesota and highlight the opportunities and obstacles involved in ensuring that the benefits of CAV technologies help all Minnesotans.