In a groundbreaking move, the University of Michigan will open a 32-acre testing site for self-driving cars.
The Mobility Transformation Facility will be comprised of roads, intersections, crosswalks, sidewalks, stoplights, building facades, and more and will create a realistic off-roadway environment for research. The project is in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Transportation and several other founding partners.
The benefits of driverless cars include avoiding traffic accidents and congestion, saving fuel, reducing greenhouse gases, and providing transportation to those with accessibility needs.
The “miniature city” is set to open in the University’s North Campus Research Complex this spring. The facility is within walking distance of Ann Arbor’s Chapel Hill Condos, Earhart Village Condos, Geddes Lake Condos, Glacier Highlands, Timber Ridge, The Woodlands, and University Commons neighborhoods.
By 2021, Ann Arbor could be the world’s first city with a fleet of connected, driverless cars.
