Open Plans' Statement on the Governor's AV Proposal

Open Plans has serious concerns regarding the Governor’s proposal in today’s State of the State. Any program to allow fully driverless, for-hire autonomous vehicles, like Waymo, to operate in cities other than New York City must be met with serious scrutiny. There is no evidence that AVs help us achieve our goals to make our State or City’s streets more people-centered. While exempting New York City from this program is critical, there are still too many unanswered questions to allow fully driverless AVs anywhere in New York State.

While there are industry claims that AVs are safer, experts have expressed serious doubt that there is sufficient evidence to make that claim; AV companies are withholding data that would allow for objective analysis. While this program does not include New York City, AV companies have made clear their intentions to enter New York City — which represents a large share of the country’s market.

Any testing in New York State must give government, academics, and advocates full access to gather and analyze safety and performance data–something that has been insufficient in other rollouts across the country. It is also critical that the State develops an effective enforcement mechanism to discourage and hold companies accountable if traffic laws are broken. We have seen other states struggle with this enforcement as AV rollouts occur across the country. It is also vital that the introduction of AVs to our streets in New York State do not negatively impact public transportation or drivers’ livelihoods.

One year after the introduction of congestion pricing in NYC, the impact is undeniable. There are fewer cars on our streets. New Yorkers are enjoying faster, safer commutes. We are on the path towards a city where the streets are for people, not just cars. Bringing automated vehicles onto our streets only drives us further away from a safer, more humane, and equitable New York.