Trump Administration to Withdraw Support From 10 Self-Driving Car Test Sites: Report

The Trump administration plans to drop support for ten locations in the United States currently used as the nation's "proving grounds" for semi-autonomous vehicle testing, two officials familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

Established on the last day that former President Barack Obama was in office, the U.S. Transportation Department designated the locations, ranging from California to Florida, as federally-recognized "automated vehicle proving grounds". These pilot sites were hand-picked to test automated vehicle technologies and share information to help foster change in the nation's mobility platforms. Ideally, each site would be able to use its experiences to promote the safe growth of a new industry through innovation.

The current locations established by the U.S. Department of Transportation are as follows:

1. City of Pittsburgh and the Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute
2. Texas AV Proving Grounds Partnership
3. U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center
4. American Center for Mobility (ACM) at Willow Run
5. Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) & GoMentum Station
6. San Diego Association of Governments
7. Iowa City Area Development Group
8. University of Wisconsin-Madison
9. Central Florida Automated Vehicle Partners
10. North Carolina Turnpike Authority

Reportedly, the department is also preparing to release a new nationwide initiative which, by removing the exclusivity to these sites, would promote the growth of semi-autonomous vehicle testing platforms at an accelerated rate, opening up pilots to both corporations and state-level government. The initiative is also expected to roll out guidelines on semi-autonomous long-haul trucking, public transit, and highway infrastructure.