A measure creating the Oklahoma Advanced Mobility Pilot Program to further state investment in emerging advanced transportation technologies gained approval from the House of Representatives on Tuesday and now moves to Governor Stitt’s desk for his signature.
Contingent upon availability of funds, Senate Bill 1688 by Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, would house the program under the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and would allow for coordination between state government, community leaders and economic developers across the state to create jobs in the emerging transportation technology industries, including emerging ground and aerial transportation technologies.
“The possibilities for the Oklahoma Advanced Mobility Pilot Program and the future technologies it could bring to our state are very exciting,” Bergstrom said. “It has the possibility to inject dollars in our local communities, stimulate the economy and create countless jobs for graduates seeking a career in this progressive field.”
Bergstrom noted the Oklahoma Advanced Mobility Pilot Program could be used to support and augment other federal transportation pilot programs created and/or managed by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), or the White House, and could include:
* Autonomous vehicles and taxi services in cities
* Drone delivery in limited areas
* Unmanned ground cargo delivery projects
* Federal programs to test electric-powered aircraft
* Drone integration pilot programs; and
* Unmanned cargo trucks on closed Oklahoma roads with USDOT
Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, is the House author for the measure.
“The Oklahoma Advanced Mobility Pilot Program has the potential to position our state as an emerging leader in cutting-edge technologies,” McCall said. “The aerospace industry is already one of Oklahoma’s top economic engines, and further investment in the aeronautics industry could truly put our state on the map as a destination for future business and industry in this field.”
