Pennsylvania is planning to build a test track and facility for new transportation technologies to help develop the next generation of cars, trucks and buses and train first responders how to interact with the new vehicles.
PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards announced Tuesday that her agency, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and Penn State have begun early planning, design and site selection work on the facility.
The Pennsylvania Safety Transportation and Research Track, PennSTART, should open in 2020. A location has not been determined.
Richards said as transportation technology evolves, researchers, students, first responders and others need opportunities to learn about them.
“PennSTART will provide Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region with access to innovative technology for testing and educational purposes,” Richards said.
Richards announced PennSTART at the second day of the Pennsylvania Automated Vehicle Summit in Pittsburgh. PennSTART will offer training, testing and research opportunities for traffic incident management, tolling, intelligent transportation systems technology, work zones and commercial, transit, connected and automated vehicles.
A proposed concept of the track and testing facilities indicates that vehicles will be able to reach highway speeds and test in rural and urban intersections. There is a roundabout, highway ramp, six-lane highway, parking lot and toll infrastructure.
Details about cost and who will pay for the facility were not discussed Tuesday. PennDOT and Penn State expect $4 billion in federal grants over the next 10 years to fund research into automated vehicles and connected vehicles.
Richards announced the test track a day after she revealed voluntary guidelines the state would like companies testing self-driving cars in Pennsylvania to follow. The interim guidelines will be in place until state lawmakers pass legislation regulating self-driving vehicle testing. Richards asked companies to submit information about the cars they are testing, who is behind the wheel and when and where and how the vehicles will be tested.
Aaron Aupperlee is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at aaupperlee@tribweb.com, 412-336-8448 or via Twitter @tinynotebook.
