City considers push to become test hub for driverless vehicles
Edmonton’s conversation about a single test track for autonomous vehicles is quickly becoming a debate about much more.
“They need to test in winter climates. What better city than Edmonton?” said Coun. Andrew Knack, pushing for city council to embrace the effort and become the leading cold-weather test site for this technology in Canada.
The first pilot project would likely involve a 10-person shuttle in a fenced-off portion of the U of A’s south campus, a project led by the Centre for Smart Transportation. These shuttles are already operating in a pilot project on roads during the summer in Helsinki.
But Knack would like a second pilot project to quickly follow in a location with public access, such as the Edmonton Research Park. There could be other good locations near the Edmonton International Airport, to provide industry with a range of options.
All of the track options need some provincial regulatory changes to allow the tests to take place. City staff said conversations with the province are ongoing. Councillors voted to send a letter of support and are to have a wider debate June 7 on how to support increased testing of autonomous vehicles.
“This is a game-changing technology that is going to provide new opportunities and new jobs that we never thought of before,” said Knack.
NEW BUSINESS SECTOR
At council’s urban planning committee meeting Wednesday, Brad Ferguson, president of Edmonton Economic Development Corp., said his team believes this could quickly become a $30-million annual industry for Edmonton, measured in the amount of economic spinoff activity it generates.
He visited Helsinki two months ago to understand that city’s progress and said a willing council and provincial regulatory support can make this happen.
“Edmonton’s in a unique situation,” Ferguson said, pointing to available land, a climate with four fairly dramatic seasons and an entrepreneurial climate. The academic and business community also has expertise in machine learning, artificial intelligence and data mining and can attract international companies to do testing here.”
That will spin off into local jobs as Edmonton entrepreneurs get involved, he said.
TRUCK TESTING
Dan Duckering, past chairman with the Alberta Motor Transport Association, said his industry needs a cold-weather place to test safety systems for semi-autonomous trucks.
“At this point, what we’re seeing and wanting to test is enhanced safety systems with the driver still sitting in the seat,” he said. “There’s an opportunity in Edmonton to stand apart as an innovator.”