Beverly Hills might be known as home to the rich and famous, but soon it may also be home to a fleet of autonomous city shuttles. Earlier this month, the Beverly Hills City Council unanimously approved a resolution to develop autonomous vehicles for public transportation in the form of a fleet of driverless municipal shuttles.
Although the Beverly Hills proposal is still very much in its infancy, the Mayor of Beverly Hills, John Mirisch, believes the technology has now reached the point of feasibility and safety for autonomous cars to be on the road.
As is the case with most autonomous car projects, the Beverly Hills proposal is still very much in its infancy, but the council appears keen to embrace new technologies. The city is also currently designing a citywide fiber optic cable network that would provide a stable platform for car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communications.
"We can't solve future or even today's problems using technology of the past," Mirisch said. "Autonomous vehicles will take private cars off the road, reduce demand for parking, increase safety and mobility for everyone, including the disabled, and solve the first/last mile challenge for residents using the future Purple Line."
The Purple Line Mirisch is referring to is the planned extension of one of LA's two subway lines through Beverly Hills, which is expected to be up and running by 2026.
The autonomous vehicles themselves haven't been chosen, although the initial announcement says the City Council is working to build a relationship with manufacturers like Google and Tesla.
Source: Beverly Hills City Council