The Texas Innovation Alliance has issued a joint request for proposals for purchase or lease of automated vehicle solutions, primarily focused on the short-trip market.

The alliance consists of cities, transportation agencies and research institutions from the Arlington, Austin, Bryan/College Station, Coastal Bend, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, Frisco, Houston and San Antonio areas.

Approximately one third of all trips in the United States are two miles or less and this collective effort leverages the combined purchasing power of Texas’ cities to get stronger pricing advantages. It also streamlines the competitive bidding process into a single application, saving staff time and tax dollars.

Automated vehicles are being tested and deployed in Texas and throughout the world in environments that include office parks, hospitals, university campuses, industrial facilities, entertainment districts, downtowns and “last mile” connections to and from public transit facilities. They may provide options for those who are unable to drive.

Austin is one of the cities involved in the alliance and wants to address the state’s urgent mobility challenges and desired safety improvements. It has developed a Smart Mobility Roadmap to guide the city’s shared, electric and autonomous mobility efforts.

The alliance’s Austin team includes the city of Austin, Capital Metro, the University of Texas at Austin, and the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. The city has worked with the Texas Innovation Alliance and the North Central Texas Council of Governments to funnel this request for proposals to the nationwide government procurement service HGACBuy.

Each participating city can select from a pool of vendors prequalified from the HGACBuy site to deploy automated vehicle technologies and services in alignment with community needs.

Automated vehicle developers, major automotive manufacturers, technology companies, and others are encouraged to apply by 12 July 2018 and qualify for the ability to offer automated vehicles and services to government agencies who are members of HGACBuy.

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