Driverless Cars Will Hit L.A. First

Los Angeles is primed to be among the first city to see the impact of driverless vehicles. As a care city, Los Angeles will likely see the major changes and benefits that come with driverless vehicles, according to research from CBRE. The report specifically calls out Downtown Los Angeles and the Inland Empire as the submarkets that could see the biggest impact from driverless vehicles.

“The size and complexity of the Los Angeles area will result in a targeted rollout,” Andrea Cross, head of office research for the Americas at CBRE, tells GlobeSt.com. “Because Los Angeles County is comprised of many distinct yet interconnected cities, full implementation will require regulatory approvals from a large number of jurisdictions, potentially lengthening the time that it will take for AVs to be able to travel freely throughout the area.”

The impact of driverless cars will be significant in a car-reliant market like Los Angeles. “Autonomous vehicles could make the large Los Angeles region more easily navigable due to the ability of passengers to do other things while in the vehicle,” says Cross. “Because people will be able to engage in other activities in an AV, such as sleeping, working or watching movies, they may be willing to travel greater distances to work and other locations. Also, self-driving cars could lessen congestion because they eventually will be able to communicate with each other, maximizing the overall efficiency of the vehicle network.”