A proposed transit tax and drop-zone concept, aimed at Uber and Lyft, foreshadow bigger debates on regulating driverless cars The drive for driverless vehicles seems to be speeding up. This week alone, Waymo announced plans to hold its first AV trials without a safety driver, Las Vegas launched its new autonomous shuttle route, and the French firm Navya unveiled a new autonomous cab.
But despite predictions and prognostications around the ways autonomous vehicles will reshape our urban environment, alter our roadways, and even impact buses and mass transit, cities haven?t been at the forefront of anticipating and planning for the massive changes these technologies will bring. As Andrew Hawkins at The Verge put it, ?self-driving cars are on a collision course with our crappy cities.? That?s why a few recently announced initiatives by U.S. cities should be welcomed as a way to start the conversation. Disruption is a tired tech buzzword, but the potential for driverless cars to change much of how a city operates shouldn?t be casually dismissed. Local leaders need to lay the groundwork for adaptation now, especially in the way they think about, work with, and regulate ride sharing services. Attempts to start reckoning with these upcoming shifts are welcome.

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An Uber and Lyft pickup spot outside the Indianapolis airport. A new proposal would create similar spots on San Francisco streets.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently promoted...