The way of the future: self-driving cars soon to hit Boston roads

BOSTON - Self-driving cars will be hitting the roads in Boston sooner than you may think.

Automated cars may very well become the way of the future after the city gave one company permission to expand their testing. While cars won't be driving themselves around immediately, the testing phase is advancing more and more each day.

It will be soon but not until the company has finished mapping out every street in Boston. While there will be two people in the car - one behind the wheel and the other in the passenger seat as the cars are tested - some are still concerned about the concept.

While some say they don't really like the idea of self-driving cars, others argue that it's the way of the future.

The City of Boston announced on Wednesday that the Department of Transportation has authorized the company Nutonomy to expand it's vehicle testing program.

The cars have been tested throughout the Seaport District for more than a year, and with a pristine driving record. Now, they'll be in every neighborhood of the city.

"Certainly Boston’s complex roadway conditions as well as our environmental challenges really create a fertile testing ground for them," said Gina Fiandaca, the Commissioner for the Transportation Department.

Those who said they have certain reservations in regards to self-driving cars said safety was a top concern, especially after a self-driving SUV with a human back-up driver struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona back in March.

"The human factor plays a huge role in vehicular crashes and certainly we’ve already seen some driver-assist technology that make our roadways safer and autonomous vehicles are certainly something we’re interested in testing to see how they can improve the safety of our roadways," said Fiandaca.

Nutonomy told Boston 25 News in a statement:

"Today, we are excited to have access to some of the most complex roads in North America as we continue to focus on improving the safety and efficiency of transportation in cities worldwide."

In a statement, Boston's Mayor Marty Walsh said:

"If deployed thoughtfully, shared fleets of autonomous vehicles could offer the City of Boston the potential to improve safety on our streets, provide equitable connections to the MBTA, and offer a new source of mobility to all Boston residents."

There is one other autonomous car company operating, but Nutonomy will be the first to expand across the city.

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