Roger Cohen (pictured left) is the Policy Director for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Before joining PennDOT’s team in 2015, he was the Founding Principal for AutoKthonous. Prior to that, he was the deputy head of planning and policy at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. For Cohen, the most fulfilling part about being a co-chair of Pennsylvania’s Autonomous Vehicle Policy Task Force is the fact that “I get to be a part of the most exciting public policy initiative in years. The influence of this technology is so significant, being a participant in this innovation is priceless in terms of the opportunity to make a safer transportation system and foster job creation and economic growth.” In mid-2016, the Pennsylvania Autonomous Vehicle Policy Task Force was formed in response to Secretary of Transportation Leslie S. Richards identifying the need to respond to the rapid pace with which this new technology was entering the marketplace. Co-chaired by Kurt J. Myers, PennDOT Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services, and Roger Cohen, PennDOTPolicyDirector,thetaskforceismadeupofawell-roundedgroupfeaturingrepresentativesfromboththeprivateand public sectors. Members include individuals from General Motors, Uber, Carnegie Mellon University, AAA, the state police, and insurance companies, to name a few. For information on the task force and a full list of members, visit PennDOT.gov. “PennDOT is committed to ensuring that we have individuals in various disciplines who are engaged not only at the national level, but also the international level when it comes to autonomous vehicles,” says Kurt Myers. “Obtaining and harnessing a wider variety of perspectives is necessary in this progressive technology. It also helps to elevate Pennsylvania to the forefront of the autonomous vehicle movement.” This exciting technology is changing daily. To stay in front of the momentum, the task force is focusing their efforts on developing polices to ensure success and to remain flexible. “Since this technology is continuously evolving, policy is a more nimble approach than regulation,” says Roger Cohen. “A policy approach speeds up our capability to address critical safety oversight. At the end of the day, the core mission of PennDOT is to maintain safety for the traveling public, and with this policy focus, we will be able to respond promptly and effectively when different needs emerge.” F I V E THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE POLICY TASK FORCE Kurt J. Myers (pictured right) is the Deputy Secretary for DriverandVehicleServicesforthePennsylvaniaDepartment of Transportation. Prior to being appointed to his current role in June 2007, he served as the Director of PennDOT’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles. There, he led the successful expansion of Pennsylvania’s vehicle emissions inspection programs. For Myers, the most fulfilling part about being a co-chair of Pennsylvania’s Autonomous Vehicle Policy Task Force is “the opportunity to be at the cutting edge of this technology and to help in shaping the positive impact this technology will have for the quality of life for residents of Pennsylvania, the country, and across the world.” THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE POLICY TASK FORCE CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX