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Originally published at King 5 News. I-5 could have autonomous lanes by 2040, according to a pitch from the Cascadia Center of Discovery Institute. The Washington State Transportation Commission will hear a new pitch for reducing congestion – building out autonomous vehicle lanes on Interstate 5. Bruce Agnew, director of the Cascadia Center at Discovery Institute, will make the pitch in Olympia, following a study by his Seattle-based think tank. He believes the state could transition existing HOV lanes to handle autonomous vehicles within the next eight to 10 years and says it would be more cost effective than other ideas of the past. “Basically striping and the condition of the pavement, we need to make sure the pavement is Read More ›

Originally published at the Puget Sound Business Journal. Bellevue real estate developer Kemper Freeman, Madrona Venture Group Founder and Managing Director Tom Alberg and representatives from companies including Microsoft, Google, ReachNow and Uber met Thursday to discuss ways to make the region — specifically Bellevue — a leader in autonomous vehicles. Bellevue was built as a car city and its infrastructure is better equipped for self-driving cars than Seattle. Bellevue is set up to manipulate traffic lights remotely, for example, meaning self-driving cars could sync with that system instead of having to develop technology that could determine the color of the lights, Alberg said. "We’re working on putting together a coalition of interested partners and companies in the area to Read More ›

Passed with bipartisan support, the SELF DRIVE Act, lays out a basic federal framework for autonomous vehicle regulation, signaling that federal lawmakers are finally ready to think seriously about self-driving cars and what they mean for the future of the country.

Tom Alberg, co-chair of the ACES Northwest Network, offers the following statement in support of Governor Jay Inslee‘s executive order on autonomous vehicles: “I welcome Governor’s Inslee’s actions, since these will accelerate the introduction of autonomous and shared vehicles to our region, which will do so much to reduce traffic deaths and accidents, improve the environment, reduce congestion and lower the cost of transportation for everyone. As a leading technology region, it is important that we be a leader in the development of these technologies.  Over the last 12 months, we have seen tremendous progress on the technologies supporting autonomous vehicles, and most of the leading automotive and technology companies expect to release fully autonomous vehicles to consumers in the next 3 Read More ›

The Cascadia Innovation Network, spearheaded by the Canadian Consulate General in Seattle, would unite startup incubators and accelerators from across the region in an effort to improve access to funding and support services.

Washington is poised to embark on an experiment in electric car ferries that could eventually transform the largest ferry fleet in the nation. And little Skagit County is leading the way, as it moves to replace its old diesel-powered Guemes Island ferry with a battery-powered, zero emissions model.

Watch below as ACES Northwest Network co-chair Bryan Mistele shares how breakthroughs in location technology, connectivity and big data are poised to transform urban mobility. Mistele is President & CEO of INRIX, a leading provider of real-time traffic information, connected car services and analytics worldwide. INRIX is at the forefront of connecting cars to smarter cities and serves more than 350 blue-chip customers in more than 40 countries around the world. The company leverages big data analytics to reduce the individual, economic and environmental toll of traffic congestion.

Chris Bayley of ACES Northwest Network moderates a panel discussion on autonomous vehicles featuring Bryan Mistele, President & CEO of INRIX, and Kevin Wallace, Bellevue City Councilmember and President of Wallace Properties. Watch below!

Cascadia Center, a Seattle think tank and longtime advocate of the Highway 99 tunnel, is urging Gov. Jay Inslee to help save parts of Bertha for public display.

Self-driving cars are all well and good for cross-country trips, but what Madrona Venture Group’s Tom Alberg really wants to see is a self-driving bus that can take him on a winery tour.