ATU: New Jersey’s Autonomous Vehicle Trenton Project Poses Serious Public Safety Risk with Unproven Technology

Funds Could be Better Spent on Zero Emission Buses to Help Fight Climate Change

Silver Spring, MD – Expressing serious public safety concerns with unproven and dangerous Autonomous Vehicles (A/V’s), the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), the largest transit union in North America, is admonishing NJ Governor Phil Murphy’s proposed Trenton MOVES Autonomous Vehicle-Based Urban Transit System Project to test A/V buses in the New Jersey state capital announced today.

“A/V vehicles are not safe. People have died and been badly injured by A/Vs. Self-driving vehicles being tested on city streets with our most vulnerable populations, children and seniors, is reckless. Our citizens aren’t cannon fodder for this unproven and dangerous technology,” said ATU International President John Costa, a former NJ Transit worker. “Rather than investing in self-driving vehicles, we should be spending this money on zero emission buses that are proven to help fight climate change, which we know is a serious problem. That’s a much better use of these funds.”

The Governor and the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) announced a request for expressions of interest for what is being called the Trenton Mobility & Opportunity: Vehicles Equity System (MOVES) Project. The project will include a network of self-driving shuttles with the ability to carry four to eight passengers at a time.

The ATU also pointed out that key stakeholders – NJ Transit workers – should be involved in any decisions and studies regarding public transit in the Garden State.

“Our members are on streets and rail lines every day and know firsthand the needs and challenges of public transit and should be involved in any and all issues about public transit in our state. How can you cut out the most essential part of our public transit systems, which is the workers when making these decisions?” Costa continued. “We should be focusing on expanding and improving NJ Transit service for our riders and ensuring that public transit provides good, family-sustaining, union jobs. This new project is a waste of taxpayer money, dangerous to our community, and an insult to our hard-working New Jersey transit members.”

The ATU has long advocated against A/V technology and worker displacement through automation since the advent of A/V’s and has spoken out against the dangers associated with self-driving vehicles, including deaths caused by the technology.