The ACES Mobility Coalition, a public sector-led alliance of government agencies, private companies, and academic organizations working to advance shared autonomous mobility, is celebrating the introduction of the Shared Autonomous Mobility (SAM) Act by Representative Kevin Kiley. The bill serves as a major step forward in advancing shared autonomous mobility partnerships with public transit agencies across the United States.
The SAM Act will modernize outdated regulations that have slowed scalable deployment and give local governments and their private sector partners a clearer path to procure, test, and integrate shared autonomous vehicles into public transportation networks. The Coalition worked with Representative Kiley to craft this bill, which will help usher in a new era of safe community mobility access that helps reduce congestion, improve the transit customer experience, establish American leadership in public transit innovation, and address first-and last-mile challenges.
“We applaud Representative Kiley for introducing the SAM Act, and recognizing the critical role shared autonomous mobility can play in improving public transportation,” said Joshua Schank (pictured), Executive Director of the ACES Mobility Coalition. “Removing outdated barriers that have limited the deployment of innovative technology partnerships will unlock safer, more efficient, and more reliable transit options for communities and their residents.”
Over the past year, Coalition leaders and members conducted extensive Congressional outreach, including a Capitol Hill fly-in, to highlight the urgent need to modernize federal programs and regulations for shared autonomous mobility vehicles. The introduction of the SAM Act by Representative Kiley reflects that progress and incorporates Coalition members’ technical expertise and policy recommendations.
“Representative Kiley’s leadership and advocacy have been critical,” Schank added. “Our members – public agencies and private technology companies – helped inform this legislation based on lived experience, and we’re excited to see those insights reflected in this thoughtful, forward-looking bill.”
The ACES Mobility Coalition is the only U.S. organization solely focused on advancing autonomous vehicles in public transit. This bill’s introduction is significant because it gives transit agencies new tools and resources that will help address their challenges, such as first- and last-mile connectivity. The Coalition is optimistic that the legislation will pass independently or be incorporated into the larger Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill ahead of the September 30 deadline.
“This is common sense legislation that will spur innovation and improve mobility,” Schank said. “We encourage members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to support the SAM Act and take decisive action to help improve public transportation for all Americans.”
(Picture: ACES Mobility Coalition)
