Special Episode: Are we thinking about cars the wrong way? from The Future of Mobility Podcast

Welcome to another special edition of Transit Unplugged featuring an episode from another transit podcast. This time we welcome past guest Brandon Bartneck with an episode from The Future of Mobility featuring autonomous vehicle visionary Larry Burns. The episode was released in August 2023. The original show notes are below:

Key topics in this conversation include:

• The true objective for transportation, and why we buy cars
• Why accessibility trumps speed
• The need to get the crash out of the system and get the mass out of the system
• What automakers have missed over the past few decades
• How we can create a safer transportation ecosystem
• Why Larry is so optimistic about the future

Listen here:

Links:

Larry’s Bio:

Larry Burns advises organizations on the future of mobility, logistics, manufacturing, energy and innovation. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Niron Magnetics. His current clients include Kitson & Partners, Nanoramic Laboratories, Neural Propulsion Systems and Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE).

Larry served as General Motors Corporate Vice President of Research & Development and Planning from 1998-2009. After leaving GM, Larry has been a Professor of Engineering Practice at the University of Michigan, the Director of the Program for Sustainable Mobility at Columbia University, a consultant to Google Self-Driving Cars/Waymo and an advisor to several major companies.

Larry is the author of Autonomy: The Quest to Build the Driverless Car—And How It Will Reshape Our World (with Christopher Shulgan and published by Ecco / HarperCollins on August 28, 2018).

Future of Mobility:

The Future of Mobility podcast is focused on the development and implementation of safe, sustainable, effective, and accessible mobility solutions, with a spotlight on the people and technology advancing these fields.

Rethinking Mobility: Prioritizing Accessibility Over Speed

00:03 Introduction from Paul Comfort

00:47 Future of Mobility with Brandon Bartneck and guest Larry Burns

02:24 Discussion on the Importance of Accessibility in Transportation

07:44 Exploring the Future of Mobility and Transportation

30:18 The Importance of Accessibility and Efficiency in Transportation

31:01 The Role of Autonomy in Enhancing Transportation

32:23 The Impact of Vehicle Mass and Speed on Safety and Sustainability

43:04 Exploring Business Opportunities in the Future of Mobility

46:43 The Role of Technology and Innovation in Shaping the Future of Transportation

01:03:37 Coming up next week on Transit Unplugged