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C. 24

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	TRANSPORTATION, WATER & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE
Date:	March 8, 2016

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Support Position on AB 1592 (Bonilla) Autonomous Vehicles: Pilot Project

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 03/08/2016

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

John Cunningham (925)674-7833

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: March 8, 2016
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ADOPT a position of support on AB 1592 (Bonilla) Autonomous Vehicles: Pilot Project, a bill that authorizes the Contra Costa Transportation Authority to conduct a pilot project for the testing of autonomous vehicles not equipped with a steering wheel, brake pedal, accelerator, or an operator, if the testing is conducted only at specified locations and the vehicle operates at specified speeds.

AUTHORIZE the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign a letter communicating the Board's position,.as recommended by the Transportation, Water, and Infrastructure Committee.

FISCAL IMPACT:

None.

BACKGROUND:

This measure would authorize the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) to conduct a pilot project for the testing of autonomous vehicles if the testing is conducted only at (1) an unnamed business park designated by CCTA and, (2) at the "GoMentum Station" located at the Concord Naval Weapons Station (Project Fact Sheet attached). The bill further requires that the autonomous vehicle may only operate at speeds of less than 35 miles per hour.

Current law authorizes autonomous cars to operate on public roads for testing purposes, but under limiting conditions that include: (1) a driver is seated in the driver’s seat and must be capable of taking control of the vehicle, (2) the vehicle must have a steering wheel, and (3) the vehicle has brake pedals and an accelerator that can be controlled by the vehicle operator. Because the vehicles that the Authority would like to test are not so equipped, this bill is necessary to permit operation on portions of public roads at the facilities enumerated in the bill.

A draft letter of support for the Chair's signature is attached to this report.

As of the submission of this report, the following organizations support/oppose the subject bill:

Support
Contra Costa Transportation Authority (Sponsor)
Allstate
Bay Area Council
City of San Ramon
City of Walnut Creek
EasyMile
Stantec
Sunset Development Company
Telegra, Inc.

Oppose
None

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

The Board of Supervisors would forgo an opportunity to support CCTA's legislative agenda.