Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • European Rubber Journal
  • Plastics News
  • Tire Business
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Automotive
    • Tire
    • Non-Tire
    • Suppliers
    • ITEC
    • Silicone
    • Online Exclusive
    • Latex
    • Technical Notebooks
    • Executive Action
    • Government/Legal
    • Opinion
    • Rubber Division IEC
    • Blogs
    • Sustainability
    • Products
    • Wacky World of Rubber
  • War in Ukraine
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
  • Resources
    • Directory
    • Classifieds & Mold Mart
  • Data
  • Events
    • RN Events
    • RN Livestreams/Webinars
    • Industry Events
    • Past Events
    • Rubber News M&A Live
    • 2022 Hose & Belt Manufacturers Conference
    • 2022 International Silicone Conference
    • 2022 International Tire Exhibition & Conference (ITEC)
    • 2022 Women Breaking the Mold
  • Advertise
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Automotive
August 15, 2019 04:42 PM

Drawback to a fleet of AVs: Added traffic congestion

Michael Martinez
Automotive News
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    May Mobility's autonomous shuttle service is offered in Columbus, Ohio.

    TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.—Autonomous vehicles may be a key to future transportation, but they shouldn't be the sole solution for auto makers and city planners, warns Alisyn Malek, chief operating officer of self-driving shuttle company May Mobility.

    Communities need to balance multiple transportation options, including shuttles, buses, bicycles and scooters, Malek said.

    She argued that continuing to focus on privately owned vehicles, especially once they are self-driving, will lead to more traffic congestion because autonomous vehicles will open up personal mobility to a larger portion of the population.

    "The world will be a parking lot if we continue the same habits that we've had, especially in the U.S., but have automated vehicles," she said. "None of us wants that."

    May Mobility is focused on connecting multimodal transportation in cities. It launched in downtown Detroit in 2018 with self-driving shuttles that ferried workers at a local company from their office buildings to parking structures. The company keeps human safety drivers present in each shuttle.

    May Mobility since has expanded to Grand Rapids, Mich.; Columbus, Ohio; and Providence, R.I. It closed a Series A funding round valued at $22 million in February.

    The Rhode Island routes represented the first time May Mobility has linked an Amtrak station and a city center. Malek said the company wants to give people access to multiple transportation modes.

    "As long as we create enough tools in the toolbox, each community can select the ones that are right for them," she said.

    Malek said it's hard to change thinking, especially in the U.S., thanks to years of prioritizing personal vehicle ownership. People must see a clear benefit to multimodal transportation, she said.

    "We recognize that in order to have people make decisions to join these new mobility services, they have to want to do it," she said. "It needs to be easier, more fun and more accessible than the other options they have available to them."

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Rubber News wants to hear from its readers. If you want to express your opinion on a story or issue, email your letter to Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].

    Most Popular
    1
    Officials shut down molding plant blamed for chemical leak in Michigan
    2
    Gust: Tire recycling starts at inception
    3
    Bridgestone investing $36 million on hose capacity expansion
    4
    Circularity critical to solving the sustainability conundrum
    5
    USTMA offers priorities on 6ppd alternatives study
    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Rubber News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe Today

    Subscribe to Rubber News to get the best coverage and leading insights in the industry.

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    MISSION

    To serve companies in the global rubber product industry by delivering news, industry insights, opinions and technical information.

    Contact Us

    2291 Riverfront Pkwy, Suite 1000
    Cuyahoga Falls,
    OH 44221

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1726

    Resources
    • About Us
    • Digital Edition
    • Staff
    • Advertise
    • Order Reprints
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Partner Sites
    • Tire Business
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    • Automotive News
    • Crain Brands
    Copyright © 1996-2022. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Automotive
      • Tire
      • Non-Tire
      • Suppliers
      • ITEC
      • Silicone
      • Online Exclusive
      • Latex
      • Technical Notebooks
      • Executive Action
      • Government/Legal
      • Opinion
      • Rubber Division IEC
      • Blogs
        • Products
        • Wacky World of Rubber
      • Sustainability
    • War in Ukraine
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
    • Resources
      • Directory
      • Classifieds & Mold Mart
    • Data
    • Events
      • RN Events
        • 2022 Hose & Belt Manufacturers Conference
        • 2022 International Silicone Conference
        • 2022 International Tire Exhibition & Conference (ITEC)
        • 2022 Women Breaking the Mold
      • RN Livestreams/Webinars
      • Industry Events
      • Past Events
      • Rubber News M&A Live
    • Advertise
    • DIGITAL EDITION