News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, September 13, 2017 — 3A

The idea of autonomous 

travel discussed by speakers 
highlighted current issues with 
automotive transportation and 
the goals that the Department 
of Transportation hopes to 
achieve with the release of their 
new federal guidance. Bainwol 
explained that more than 90 
percent of crashes are related 
to human error and the use of 
driverless cars will primarily 
address these issues — as well 
as provide for a cleaner, more 
efficient and more productive 
form of transportation.

The factors necessary to 

achieve such an autonomous 
future, 
Bainwol 
explained, 

include technology and public 
policy.

“The idea of autonomous 

cars has been a dream for a 
long time, but now, following 
decades of investment, it’s 
becoming a reality,” he said. 
“Policy can either harness 
and slow down innovations or 
it can help accelerate the life-
saving, life-changing benefits, 
and that’s why what Secretary 
Chao is announcing today is so 
significant.”

The 
speakers 
also 

emphasized 
the 
advantages 

such methods of transportation 
would 
provide 
those 
with 

disabilities, 
specifically 
the 

blind. Riccobono noted that 
while vision has always been a 
necessity for driving, a society 
in which automated vehicles 
are used by everyone would 
provide those with physical 
disabilities the opportunity to 
make use of these methods of 
transportation.

“Equal access to reliable, 

affordable, 
flexible 
and 

barrier-free 
transportation 

is one of the most significant 
obstacles 
preventing 
people 

with 
disabilities, 
who 

represent one out of every 
five Americans, from fully 

contributing their talents and 
achieving 
full 
integration 

in 
our 
communities,” 
he 

said. 
“The 
race 
to 
bring 

fully 
autonomous 
vehicles 

to America’s roads brings an 
unprecedented opportunity to 
ensure equal access for people 
with disabilities.”

When 
announcing 
the 

guidance, 
which 
includes 

aspects from previous policy 
but is updated with input 
from public comments and 
Congressional hearings, Chao 
explained how the information 
will help to ensure safety and 
effective practice by states and 
policymakers.

She stated that the vision “is 

not a static document,” and that 
the vehicles of tomorrow will 
continue to build upon policies 
established by the guidance. 
While today’s vehicles include 
many 
automated 
features, 

the future of transportation 
will include new computing 
powers, sensors and cameras.

“The 
future 
of 
this 

innovative, new technology is 
so full of promise,” she said. 
“It’s a future where vehicles 
increasingly help drivers avoid 
crashes. It’s a future where 
the time spent commuting is 
dramatically 
reduced, 
and 

where millions more, including 
the elderly and people with 
disabilities, 
gain 
access 
to 

the freedom of the open road. 
Especially important, it’s a 
future where highway fatalities 
and injuries are significantly 
reduced.”

A Vision for Safety 2.0, 

developed with the assistance 
of 
the 
National 
Highway 

Traffic Safety Administration, 
is laid out in new booklet. This 
replaces the previous Version 
1.0, otherwise known as the 
Federal Automated Vehicles 
Policy, and seeks to provide 
a productive path in which 
safe and effective automated 
vehicles 
can 
further 
be 

successful through four main 
objectives: the encouragement 
of 
new 
ideas, 
updating 

department 
processes 
by 

following 
private 
sector 

innovation 
and 
supporting 

partnership with the public 
and stakeholders in regard to 
this innovation and making 
use of the best practices and 
assistance for state legislators.

“As technology advances and 

the department gathers new 
and more information from 
stakeholders and consumers, 
we will continue to refine and 
update this guidance,” Chao 
said. “In fact, the department, 
and all of its modes, are already 
planning for Version 3.0 to be 
released in 2018.”

Chao also emphasized this is 

not an enforcement document 
and in conjunction with each 
state’s interest in legislating 
autonomous 
vehicles 
will 

continue 
to 
provide 
an 

approach for a world with 
increasing 
technological 

changes to make use of such 
resources for public efficiency 
and safety.

The 
new 
announcement 

mirrors 
legislation 
which 

was recently passed by the 
House of Representatives. In 
a statement released following 
the 
conference, 
Dingell 

expressed her support of the 
new measures.

“This 
updated 
policy 

guidance 
also 
compliments 

legislation passed unanimously 
in the House of Representatives, 
the SELF DRIVE Act, which 
establishes a framework for 
the regulation of self-driving 
vehicles for the first time,” 
Dingell said in the statement. 
“Automated vehicles have the 
potential to transform mobility 
in this country — improving 
our economy and saving lives 
on the road. This is a unique 
opportunity for members of 
both parties to come together 
to improve safety, support 
the auto industry’s comeback, 
and help create more cutting-
edge jobs in our state. Today’s 
announcement brings us one 
step closer to making this new 
technology a reality.”

MCITY
From Page 1A

may seem like a hefty price tag 
for a bike-and-pedestrian trail, 
Lazarus explained the costs 
are all in the name of safety.

“The master plan has a lot 

of great separated crossings, 
so that pedestrians don’t have 
to compete with cars to cross 
intersections,” 
he 
said. 
“I 

think that’s what gives some 
of the cost. Particularly when 
you get to the North Bank, the 
connection to the Border-to-
Border trail, there’s some pretty 
heavy infrastructure required.”

Furthermore, 
the 
city 
is 

exploring options of private 
funding so that the trail will not 
have to be funded entirely by 
taxpayers.

“We would find a way to set 

funding aside,” Lazarus said. 
“We want to look for grant 
opportunities as well. The city 
also does bring some property 
along the Border-to-Border trail 
that we could leverage for some 
secure funding.”

Ann 
Arbor 
residents 

are excited about the new 
recreation and transportation 
opportunities 
the 
trail 
will 

bring 
them. 
According 
to 

Councilmember Jason Frenzel, 
D-Ward 1, who represents a 
large part of the city that the 
trail is slated to run through, 

citizens like the master plan 
because it ensures the trail will 
line up with the core values the 
city holds.

“The response kept getting 

more and more positive over 
time,” Frenzel said. “When I talk 
to the residents who have not 
been involved in that planning 
and they see it for the first time, 
they’re generally really, really 
positive. It’s shiny and cool-
looking, and it’s an innovative 
idea that holds Ann Arbor’s 
value sets with stewardship 
and 
active 
recreation 
and 

placemaking all to standard. I 
hear people excited because of 
those components.” 

On 
the 
other 
hand, 
the 

University 
is 
not 
quite 
as 

on 
board 
with 
the 
master 

plan as Ann Arbor residents. 
Lazarus said the school has 
some concerns about the trail 
interfering with its own master 
plan.

“We’re going to continue 

to work with them on that,” 
Lazarus said. “They are first 
and foremost an educational 
institution, so they need to be 
concerned with how to support 
their 
educational 
mission. 

But they do realize that the 
connection to the community 
is 
important 
to 
students, 

faculty, and visitors. … It’ll run 
along the periphery of campus. 
Having 
a 
facility 
students 

can use is important. At some 
point in the future it may cross 

through 
different 
parts 
of 

campus.” 

For his part, Kinesiology 

senior Connor Mora is excited 
for the trail. Though Mora will 
graduate before the trail is 
completed, as a member of the 
men’s cross country team, he is 
enthusiastic the opportunities 
it opens for the future team.

“Some of our routes can 

get 
pretty 
monotonous, 
so 

new routes are always very 
exciting,” Mora said. “The 
new track is being built right 
now, and it would be really 
convenient 
for 
the 
teams 

located in the South Campus 
area to be able to use the trail, 
too.”

Frenzel said the trail still has 

to undergo many stages before 
it can be used by citizens. 
City Council has accepted it 
for public comment, and staff 
will 
be 
seeking 
additional 

input from future stakeholders 
of the trail. Then the council will 
review the revised plan again, 
look for funding and then begin 
construction.

“I think it’s really important for 

people to recognize that a lot of the 
really big and important things 
that we have in our community 
have taken decades to implement,” 
Frenzel said. “We can do really big 
things on moderate time horizons. 
This is one of those things that will 
take a few years, but when we get it 
done it will be a treasure for this 
community.”

TRAIL
From Page 1A

said.

She went on to reaffirm the motives of the 

committee and CSG as solely purposed in 
getting better student voter turnout rates in 
elections.

“The whole point of this is to get people to 

register to vote; we don’t really care where 
they’re voting,” Sarkar spoke.

Fulfilling an initiative outlined in their 

platform 
as 
candidates 
last 
semester, 

Jawad announced at assembly she will be 
meeting with the University’s Information 
Technology Services as soon as next week 
to discuss initiatives of installing Wi-Fi on 
Central Campus’s Diag.

With the widespread campaign efforts 

of the eMerge party during last winter, the 
Information and Technology Services began 
working on the initiative in June, Sarkar told 
the committee.

With due diligence, Sarkar told the 

committee that students could see Wi-Fi 
on the Diag as soon as the latter half of the 
Winter 2018 semester.

In rewriting Article VI of the University 

Election Commission, CSG also instituted 
the position of special prosecutor for Student 
Government elections, citing a need for a 
more impartial hearing process for parties 
filing complaints to the elections director.

Under the new position, the special 

prosecutor will serve as a petitioner for 
any case whose complainant requests and 
be responsible for gathering evidence and 
presenting cases at hearing before the 
elections counsel.

CSG
From Page 1A

said.

Additionally, the majority 

leader is interested in starting 
a signature-gathering effort to 
repeal existing wage laws.

State 
Senate 
Minority 

Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint

Flint still does not have 

clean water, landing a solution 
to the water crisis at the 
top of state Sen. Ananich’s 
agenda. In addition to local 
solutions, Ananich said he is 
intent on preventing similar 
water crises from happening 
around the state. He said 
despite Michigan having such 
large amount of fresh water, 
many communities have had 
issues with housing over the 
price of water, which he said is 
inacceptable.

“We need to protect all of 

our waterways, not just the 
Great Lakes,” Ananich said. 
“We shouldn’t have any more 
crises –– it happened to me 
personally and I have no other 
motivation than making sure 
it doesn’t happen to other 
people.”

For those who have had to 

endure the crisis, Ananich is 
hoping to establish a need-
based scholarship by the end 
of the year. The scholarship, 
named 
the 
Flint 
Promise, 

would make Flint the 11th 
city in Michigan designated 
a “promise zone,” or a city 
offering free tuition to those 
in need.

Ananich 
also 
said 
with 

so 
much 
insecurity 
in 

Washington, 
the 
state 
is 

looking 
to 
provide 
policy 

solutions 
for 
issues 
not 

federally 
addressed, 

such as price gouging in 
pharmaceutical companies.

State House Speaker Tom 

Leonard, R-DeWitt

State House Speaker Tom 

Leonard wrote in an email 
interview he has three top 
priorities for the fall, with 
mental health reform topping 

the list.

“This is a problem that does 

not have easy answers, but it 
is something we must address. 
I created a special task force 
this summer to travel around 
the state and talk to people 
who have been affected and 
learn what we can do to make 
a difference,” Leonard wrote.

Leonard 
also 
wants 
to 

support skilled trade schools, 
giving high school students 
more education options and 
adding more skilled labor to 

the economy.

“We created new options 

for high school students this 
spring, and we are working on 
new reforms to help prepare 
future students for the modern 
economy,” he said.

Like 
Meekhof, 
Leonard 

expressed interest in auto 
insurance reform, citing the 
same high rates.

“Michigan 
families 

currently 
pay 
the 
highest 

rates in the country for auto 
insurance, and it is not close. 
We have to do whatever we can 
to lower rates for Michigan 
drivers,” he said.

State Rep. Peter Lucido, 

D-Macomb

State 
Rep. 
Lucido 
has 

introduced the most bills this 
term compared to the rest of 
the Michigan representatives. 
Hoping to find solutions for 
auto 
insurance 
like 
many 

other 
congressmen, 
Lucido 

mentioned 
the 
need 
to 

efficiently 
create 
reform. 

He said that 22 percent of 
Michigan drivers currently do 
not have insurance, creating a 
sluggish Secretary of State.

“We will know when you 

got insurance, how long it 
was purchased for, and so it 
goes right from the company 
to the secretary of state,” 
Lucido said. “As soon as police 
officers pull you over, they 
will know whether or not you 
have insurance.”

In addition to predictions 

that 2018 will see legislation 
on medical marijuana, Lucido 
said alleviating the opioid 
epidemic requires continued 
education for doctors and 
patients, and that correction 
reform is needed.

“We currently spend $2 

million 
on 
corrections 
–– 

that’s too much,” he said.

MICHIGAN
From Page 1A

that are based solely on 
routine.

Pink also noted many 

professions, 
such 
as 

accounting 
and 
law, 

are 
slowly 
becoming 

automated 
as 
the 

steps for each job are 
becoming 
more 
and 

more present on the 
internet. Finally, Pink 
explained 
the 
large 

amount of goods present 
in the country is also 
becoming 
problematic 

for the working class.

“There 
is 
this 

incessant need to come 
up with something new 
or 
create 
something 

better,” Pink said. 

Pink 
also 
touched 

on the importance of 
students 
becoming 

T-shaped; 
in 
other 

words, having not only 
a specialized knowledge 
of a certain subject, 
but also a more general 
understanding of other 
subjects.

He 
acknowledged 

the danger of hyper-
specialization in today’s 
economy, 
especially 

given how quickly it can 

change.

“You can specialize 

in 
a 
programming 

language 
that 
ends 

up 
disappearing, 
or 

you can specialize in 
a type of technology 
that ends up becoming 
obsolete pretty quickly,” 
he said. “I think that 
some specialization is 
okay, but I think hyper-
specialization 
at 
this 

age is really dangerous 
because the world is 
going to be different in 
20 years. What you need 
is a versatile portfolio of 
skills, a great mindset 
and the ability to learn.”

The 
presentation 

also 
highlighted 
the 

value of the arts and 
creativity 
in 
today’s 

economy. 
However, 

Pink acknowledged the 
challenge many of this 
generation’s 
students 

face in terms of feeling 
the need to focus only on 
developing logical skills, 
calling 
for 
educators 

to incorporate a multi-
faceted 
definition 
of 

subjects 
included 
in 

STEM fields.

“I think that we short-

sell STEM by thinking of 
it as a purely reductive 
linear thing — it’s not,” 
Pink 
said. 
“I 
think 

AUTHOR
From Page 1A

We created 
new options 

for high school 

students 

this spring, 
and we are 
working on 
new reforms 

to help 

prepare future 

students for 
the modern 

economy 

that in our school system we 
often think of STEM as the AP 

biology where you’re answering 
multiple choice questions, when 
that’s not what STEM is. It’s 
exploration, experimentation, 

multidisciplinary, 
teams 

working together. You basically 
have to give your generation 
a reality check on what STEM 
actually is.”

Pink ended his talk with an 

explanation of benefits of the 
arts — specifically regarding 
composition, 
coordination 

and compassion. He explained 
while not everyone might be 
naturally gifted in areas like 
art or music, they can work 
towards 
having 
sufficient 

skills. He commended both the 
Ross School of Business and 
the University on taking an 
interdisciplinary approach to 
education.

“I think that being part of the 

overall University of Michigan 
is 
really 
valuable 
because 

tonight somewhere there was a 
dance performance, there was 

a play, there was a concert,” 
he said. “You’re not in just a 
specialized area. I think that 
Ross lodged in the context of 
the U of M is in a pretty good 
place.”

In terms of the future, Pink 

speculated the economy will 
focus more on a search for 
meaning.

“I think that one thing I can 

see happening is the economy 
becoming more focused on the 
search for meaning. I think that 
human beings in general want 
to live a life of meaning which 
can be hard to do if you’re just 
trying to survive, and if more 
people aren’t simply trying to 
survive you might encourage 
more people to try and find a 
sense of meaning.”

There is this 
incessant need 
to come up with 
something new or 
create something 

better,