On September 27, 2013, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 743 into law and started a process intended to fundamentally change transportation impact analysis as part of CEQA compliance. These changes include elimination of auto delay, level of service (LOS), and other similar measures of vehicular capacity or traffic congestion as a basis for determining significant impacts. Instead, transportation impacts will be determined based on changes to vehicle miles of travel (VMT).

Although there is much uncertainty regarding how autonomous vehicles (AVs) might transform cities and influence roadway safety, our recent ITE Journal article “Safeguarding Safety for Road Users Now While Planning for an Automated Future” published alongside the Eno Center for Transportation explores different safety strategies that are important to consider both today and in an AV future.