Image - a Waymo vehicle on a street
San Francisco

Autonomous Vehicles and the City 2024

In-person TicketsOnline-only Tickets

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Join us for an afternoon focused on automation and innovation for public good.

Autonomous vehicles have the potential to revolutionize transportation in our cities, offering increased accessibility and efficiency in our urban transport systems. The 8th Autonomous Vehicles and the City symposium at The Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California will feature global discussions from senior executives and experts across the AV industry and the public sector. From integrating automation and AI within public transit systems to optimizing resources like curbs and city rights-of-way for autonomous vehicle operations to reduce vehicle miles traveled, the conference will touch on the variety of ways AV platforms are being used to serve diverse populations and help global cities meet climate goals.

Agenda

1.30 p.m. Welcome / Overview of Conference

Dr. William (Billy) Riggs, Professor at the University of San Francisco and Director of the Autonomous Vehicles & the City Initiative
Dr. Otgontsetseg Erhemjamts, Dean of School of Management at the University of San Francisco

1.40 p.m. Introductory Keynote: "AVs and the Future"

Opportunities for the future of automation?
Sharon Giovinazzo, CEO of LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired San Francisco

1.50 p.m. "Roadway Management and Innovations for Public Sector Integration

How can we make the best use road of roadways in the context of automation? What does this mean to for curbs and roadway infrastructure? What does it mean for customers of multimodal transport? How can we use roadway networks, parking, and other physical resources to reduce empty miles and total VMT/VKT?
• Mollie Cohen D'Agostino, Executive Director of Mobility Science, Automation and Inclusion Center (MoSAIC) at UC Davis
• Arielle Fleisher, Policy Development and Research Manager at Waymo
• Brook Dubose, Associate Principal and Cities, Planning & Design Leader at Arup
• Dr. William (Billy) Riggs of the University of San Francisco

2.30 p.m. Break

3.00 p.m. "Insights from European initiatives"

Report about EU deployments and roadmaps for AV mobility services.
• Dr. Henriette Cornet, Professor at the University of San Francisco and Strategic Mobility Consultant

3.15 p.m. "AV Services, Innovations and Partnerships for Sustainable Transport Futures" 

What is happening to innovate AV services? What are opportunities for transit integration and traffic operations? What are our long-term visions? How can we ensure the most sustainable outcomes for automated and autonomous vehicles in cities?
• Dr. Henriette Cornet, Professor at the University of San Francisco and Strategic Mobility Consultant
• Tim Haile, Executive Director of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA)
• Dr. James Fishelson, Executive Director of PATH at UC Berkeley 
• Dr. Sven Beiker, Managing Director at Silicon Valley Mobility and Lecturer at Stanford University

3.55 p.m. "Insights from Student Work"

Presentation of student work related to future AV innovations.
• TBA

4.05 p.m. Closing Fireside Chat 

What pathway is Zoox taking toward autonomous services? What should we expect over the coming years? What is essential for local cities and developments in preparing for and deploying AV operations? What do private companies need for the city to be successful in their operations at various different scales? Where are the opportunities for collaboration?
• Ron Thaniel, Senior Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at Zoox
• Dr. William (Billy) Riggs, Professor at the University of San Francisco and Director of the Autonomous Vehicles & the City Initiative 

4:40 p.m. Parting Thoughts and Thanks

• Dr. William (Billy) Riggs, Professor at the University of San Francisco and Director of the Autonomous Vehicles & the City Initiative
• Dr. Michael Goldman, Professor at the University of San Francisco and Associate Dean of Graduate Programs

Speakers and Moderators

Dr. William (Billy) Riggs, Professor, University of San Francisco;  Director, Autonomous Vehicles & the City Initiative
Dr. Otgontsetseg Erhemjamts, Dean, School of Management, University of San Francisco
Sharon Giovinazzo, CEO, LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired San Francisco
Mollie Cohen D'Agostino, Executive Director, Mobility Science, Automation and Inclusion Center (MoSAIC) at UC Davis
Arielle Fleisher, Policy Development and Research Manager at Waymo
Brook Dubose, Associate Principal and Cities, Planning & Design Leader at Arup
Dr. Henriette Cornet, Professor, University of San Francisco; Strategic Mobility Consultant
Tim Haile, Executive Director, Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA)
Dr. James Fishelson, Executive Director, PATH at UC Berkeley 
Dr. Sven Beiker, Managing Director, Silicon Valley Mobility; Lecturer, Stanford University
Ron Thaniel, Senior Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Zoox
Dr. Michael Goldman, Professor, University of San Francisco; Associate Dean of Graduate Programs

Notes

This program has 2 types of tickets available: in-person and online-only. Please pre-register to receive a link to the live-stream event.

If you have symptoms of illness (coughing, fever, etc.), we ask that you either stay home or wear a mask. Our front desk has complimentary masks for members and guests who would like one.

Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our programming.

Hosted by the University of San Francisco School of Management. In partnership with The Commonwealth Club of California

All ticket sales are final and nonrefundable.

Fri, May 10 / 1:30 PM PDT

The Commonwealth Club of California
110 The Embarcadero
Taube Family Auditorium
San Francisco, CA 94105
United States

Speakers

See full program description for speakers and moderators

Moderator TBA

Format

1 p.m. doors open & check-in 
1:30 p.m. welcome/overview of conference
1:40 p.m. introductory keynote—"AVs and the Future"
1:50 p.m. "Roadway Management and Innovations for Public Sector Integration"
2:30 p.m. break
3 p.m. "Insights from European Initiatives"
3:15 p.m. "AV Services, Innovations and Partnerships for Sustainable Transport Futures"
3:55 p.m. "Insights from Student Work"
4:05 p.m. closing fireside chat
4:40 p.m. parting thoughts and thanks

In-person:
$15 members
$25 nonmembers
Free for Leadership Circle members and students 
Online:
Free for members
$10 nonmembers
Free for Leadership Circle members and students