Driverless Car Demo Forgets Cyclists and Pedestrians

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Will autonomous cars still need traffic lights? MIT's SENSEable City Lab poses this question in a recent animated simulation of driverless cars for its DriveWAVEprogram.

Without stoplights, self-driving cars will be able to harmoniously merge, turn, and navigate the road without causing traffic congestion. And no congestion means greatly reducing emissions that otherwise accumulate at intersections, all while increasing the number of cars that can pass through without being delayed.

There's a problem with DriveWAVE's model, however. As The Atlantic's City Lab points out, the simulation doesn't take into account foot or bicycle traffic. It's enought to leave you wondering how autonomous vehicles will accommodate the enduring reality that is people moving around cities in things that aren't cars.

While DriveWAVE's simulation is meant to start conversation, as The Atlantic acknowledges, it seems a question well worth keeping in mind. Foot traffic doesn't seem likely to decrease in our digitally optimized, driverless cities of the future.

Source: City Lab