The U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”) has created the Non-Traditional and Emerging Transportation Technology (“NETT”) Council, an internal DOT deliberative body tasked with identifying and resolving jurisdictional and regulatory gaps that may impede the deployment of new technology, such as tunneling, hyperloop, autonomous vehicles, and other innovations.
DOT Secretary Elaine L. Chao made the announcement during her remarks at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas.
“New technologies increasingly straddle more than one mode of transportation, so I've signed an order creating a new internal department council to better coordinate the review of innovation that have multi-modal applications,” said Secretary Chao.
The DOT consists of 11 operating administrations, each with its own traditional jurisdiction over certain environmental and regulatory approvals, the DOT said in a statement. The DOT explained that new technologies may not always fit precisely into the department's existing regulatory structure, potentially resulting in a slower pace of transportation innovation. Inventors and investors approach the DOT to obtain necessary safety authorizations, permits, and funding and, the DOT said, often face uncertainty about how to coordinate with it.
The DOT said that the NETT Council will address these challenges “by ensuring that the traditional modal silos at DOT do not impede the deployment of new technology.” It added that the NETT Council also will give project sponsors a single point of access to discuss plans and proposals.
Steven A. Meyerowitz
Steven A. Meyerowitz, a Harvard Law School graduate, is the founder and president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc., a law firm marketing communications consulting company. He may be contacted at [email protected].