Jesse Winter, Centretown News
Cyclists and cars cross the bridge at Chaudiere Crossing. The Zibi development project for the area includes a plan for driverless buses on the bridge in the future. Ottawa’s streets may soon see a new kind of vehicle, courtesy of Windmill Developments. Jonathan Westeinde, the company’s CEO, says they’re evaluating driverless, electric shuttle buses for use at the Zibi redevelopment on Albert and Chaudière Islands. The buses would run in pedestrian areas on the islands and connect to mainland transit across the bridges.
The project would be the first of its kind in Canada with the potential to set the stage for automated vehicles elsewhere. In the last year, the Ontario Ministry of Transport has expressed interest in allowing for driverless cars in the near future. Westeinde says this is a chance to showcase the technology.
“We’re looking at this as a pilot project,” says Westeinde, “If it works out well, we’d be interested in a partnership with OC Transpo to expand.”
Zibi residents would use the buses to get around the islands and across the Chaudière Bridge to connect with Ottawa’s and Gatineau’s public transit. Windmill is studying their feasibility in partnership with the Canadian Automated Vehicles Centre of Excellence (CAVCOE), which provides expertise on technical specifications and government regulations of Automatic vehicles.
Barrie Kirk, executive Director of CAVCOE says the buses would be guided along their routes by high definition GPS technology. They would also come equipped with collision-avoidance sensors using RADAR combined with LIDAR, a similar technology which uses light instead of radio waves to detect obstacles. Though they’d be able to drive freely, Kirk says their routes will be defined by painted lines for pedestrians’ comfort.
Kirk says the shuttles would drive at low speeds, mostly in pedestrian areas and suggests a dedicated lane for them on the bridges off the islands. The buses are one of several possibilities windmill is evaluating for transit on the islands, all of them driverless and electric.
Coun. Michael Qaqish, co-chair of the Ottawa Transit Commission, says he’s open to hearing Windmill’s proposal. He says the technology’s effectiveness and the legal liabilities will have to be carefully examined first. Though it will depend on the feasibility of the project Windmill brings forward, he says it’s time Ottawa led the nation in accommodating driverless vehicles.
“Our transportation laws are a bit outdated. We are the nation’s capital,” he says, “I think we’d be interested in seeing what they have to bring forward.”
Qaqish cautions the process may be complex as a decision like this needs to be approved at the municipal, provincial and federal levels because Ottawa is the capital.
Driverless vehicles are not yet legal in Ontario, but Kirk says that’s likely to change once politicians get wind of the potential benefits. Driverless vehicles are gaining traction elsewhere, as well. Vancouver’s public transportation system uses driverless trains and England has greenlit several similar shuttle bus pilot projects.
“Driverless cars are safer than human drivers,” Kirk says, adding 93 per cent of fatal collisions involve driver error as a primary factor. “We hope to prevent 80 per cent of collisions and save 80 per cent of those lives that would otherwise be lost.” Kirk also pointed to a Conference Board of Canada report that says those prevented collisions along with improved traffic conditions and fuel efficiency could save the Canadian economy $65 billion a year. He admits automated transit will also cut numerous jobs for human drivers and potentially send new technology development jobs overseas, but he says they’re coming anyway and the best course is to prepare. “There will be winners and losers, but you can’t turn back the tide.”
The Ministry of Transportation has already taken some steps toward regulating autonomous vehicles, including numerous reports on the subject and endorsing a project to pump $1 million into developing new autonomous car technologies in the province. Kirk says he expects them to fully regulate autonomous vehicles within two years.
In the meantime, Qaqish says Windmill’s project may well be the jumpstart that gets automated vehicles moving.
“We rely heavily on our private sector to take leadership and initiative in innovation. We’re here at the city to provide the opportunity for that private sector to shine,” he says