PITTSBURGH, PA (May 23, 2018) Mayor William Peduto released the following statement today regarding the announcement that Uber is ending its automated vehicle program in Phoenix following a fatal crash in March and planning to resume testing in Pittsburgh this summer:
"I made it clear to Uber officials after the Arizona crash that a full federal investigation had to be completed, with strong rules for keeping streets safe, before I would agree with the company to begin testing on Pittsburgh streets again.
In talks with company officials, I and the city's Department of Mobility and Infrastructure additionally required conditions with Uber before Pittsburgh would agree to testing. The conditions included that:
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Automated vehicles would never exceed 25 miles-per-hour in the city, on any street, regardless of legal speed limits. (The probability of pedestrians surviving a collision is much higher at speeds of under 25 mph. Even at 30 mph fatality rates increase dramatically.)
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The company use its driver app to alert human drivers when they are exceeding speed limits, so human drivers adhere to speed limits as well.
Uber did not tell me of today's announcement, and I was forced to learn about it through social media reports. This is not the way to rebuild a constructive working relationship with local government, especially when facing a public safety matter."
