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Cities of Vancouver and Surrey Could Implement Canada's First Two 'Collision-Free Corridors' Using Autonomous Vehicles
Wednesday, May 2, 2018Company Profile | Follow Company
Cities of Vancouver and Surrey could implement Canada's first two collision-free corridors using autonomous vehicles and smart technologies
Mobility the focus of Vancouver and Surrey's Smart-Cities idea
Vancouver, BC, May 2, 2018--(T-Net)--The cities of Vancouver and Surrey could implement Canada's first two collision-free corridors using autonomous vehicles and smart technologies for multi-modal transportation if selected by Infrastructure Canada to bring that idea to reality, with $50 million in prize money as part of the Smart Cities Challenge.
In January of this year, the cities of Vancouver and Surrey teamed up to apply for the top prize of $50 million in smart cities project funding from Infrastructure Canada as part of this Smart Cities Challenge.
If chosen as the winning submission, both cities would demonstrate the path to safer, healthier, and more connected communities while reducing emissions, improving transportation efficiency, and enhancing livability in the face of rapid growth and traffic congestion.
The cities reported that an online platform was launched to generate ideas directly from citizens, entrepreneurs, innovators, start-ups, and businesses at smartertogether.ca , and more than 70,000 interactions took place with people joining the platform, casting votes, completing surveys, and responding to social media.
Staff from both cities also held in-person visits at community centres, libraries, and other public spaces.
In the business community, both cities met with start-ups and meet-ups in the tech sector as well as allies and partners in the corporate world. Municipal experts, staff teams, business units, advisory boards, and engaged youth also contributed to the discussions.
After four months of conversations, both communities made it clear that mobility should be the focus.
The final challenge statement and submission to Infrastructure Canada notes how smart transportation, connections, and access will make the cities of Surrey and Vancouver, and the rest of Canada, "smarter together".
Infrastructure Canada has said that it will begin the process of screening all submitted applications for eligibility, and will post the summaries on their website this summer.
In line with that, the cities of Vancouver and Surrey noted that they will also post their full submission application online.
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Editor's Note: It's not entirely clear from the City of Vancouver's press release how exactly autonomous vehicles in Vancouver and Surrey fit into their plans if their grant request is successful (and the autonomous vehicles part is what really caught our eye), but they have clearly highlighted it as part of their bid (and noted it prominently in their press release).
The image above also shows "Autonomous Shuttles" and "Smart Mobility Infrastructure" as part of it.
We suspect (but don't have City verification of) that the idea and plan for "collision-free corridors" could make the Cities of Vancouver and Surrey a testing ground for autonomous vehicles, and join the few other regions where driverless cars are already currently permitted or being tested, such as Las Vegas, Boston and Chandler, Arizona
This is what it says specifically about this on the "Smarter Together" website (from the City of Vancouver and City of Surrey):
Surrey and Vancouver will implement Canada's first two collision-free multi-modal transportation corridors, leveraging autonomous vehicles and smart technologies to demonstrate the path to safer, healthier, and more socially connected communities while reducing emissions, improving transportation efficiency, and enhancing livability in the face of rapid growth and traffic congestion. #SmarterTogether
We wish we had more detail on this portion that we could pass on to you. Please let us know, if you know more than we do on this, and we will update this story.
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