[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 7, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    INTRODUCTION OF THE PREPARING LOCALITIES FOR AN AUTONOMOUS AND 
                       CONNECTED ENVIRONMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 7, 2019

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, today I introduced the Preparing 
Localities for an Autonomous and Connected Environment (PLACE) Act. 
This legislation would create a federally funded highly automated 
vehicle clearinghouse to examine the secondary influences of autonomous 
vehicles on land use, real estate, transportation, municipal budgets, 
urban design, the environment, and social equity.
  The transportation sector is changing at a faster pace than ever 
before. New mobility options like transportation network companies, 
bikeshare, scooters, and more have already disrupted how Americans get 
around. And with more than 300 companies and partnerships working 
toward bringing semi- or fully-autonomous vehicles to market in the 
near future, the landscape is set to change even faster. While Congress 
has started to debate autonomous vehicle legislation, little attention 
has been paid to the secondary influences of autonomous vehicles once 
they are deployed onto the roads. Done right, autonomous vehicles can 
solve some of the country's most vexing transportation problems while 
improving mobility for all. Done wrong, autonomous vehicles can 
exacerbate transportation's negative externalities, leaving communities 
struggling to make sense of an ever-changing landscape.
  The PLACE Act will help communities better prepare for rapidly-
changing environments while providing policymakers with the tools and 
research they need to make great places. I look forward to working with 
my colleague and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to 
enacting this bill.

                          ____________________