Washington, D.C. – SAFE is pleased to announce the appointment of Allanté Whitmore as Director of SAFE’s Autonomous Vehicle Initiative.
Allanté brings an extensive background in autonomous vehicle (AV) technology and policy expertise from researching the environmental, equity, economic, and ethical impacts of AVs.
She is currently completing a joint Ph.D. in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. Her research is focused on shared automated mobility when integrated with public transportation and when replacing regional air travel.
“We are at a point where AV policy is critical, so it is an exciting time to join the SAFE team,” said Whitmore. “Access to or exclusion from opportunities for social mobility and connection are often predicated on reliable transportation. AVs offer a chance to make advances in transportation by not only capitalizing on the promising benefits like reducing fatal crashes and carbon emissions, but also the opportunity to improve transit equity. As we continue to develop and deploy this technology, it’s imperative to be thinking about how the benefits can be equitably distributed amongst different types of travelers.”
During her tenure at CMU, Whitmore was awarded multiple fellowships including the K&L Gates Presidential Fellow and Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship. She interned at Argonne National Laboratory, as well as served as a member of the Pittsburgh Micromobility Collective and AV Policy Advisory Group.
“Autonomous vehicles present considerable economic and societal benefits,” said SAFE President and CEO Robbie Diamond. “It is crucial Congress accelerate regulatory progress to support the large-scale deployment of AVs in a safe and responsible manner. Allanté brings an expertise in the integration of AVs with other modes of travel to ensure equity and accessibility, which is critical to benefiting the disadvantaged, disabled, the elderly and society as whole. Her drive, passion, and expertise will add a critical voice to the entire AV community.”
About SAFE’s Autonomous Vehicle Initiative
Over the last several years, SAFE has been at the forefront of the effort to accelerate the adoption and deployment of connected, autonomous, shared, and electric vehicles. AVs hold tremendous potential to dramatically improve society by reducing accidents, improving productivity, increasing efficiency, and enhancing energy security by precipitating a shift away from oil as the dominant transportation fuel. SAFE’s Autonomous Vehicle Initiative has led the effort to study and quantify many of the benefits that these new technologies can offer and will continue to advocate for well-thought out and safe policy solutions to advance this critical technology.
Contact: Bridget Dunn | 202.539.7885 | bdunn@secureenergy.org
About SAFE
SAFE enhances the nation’s energy security and supports our economic resurgence and resiliency, by advancing transformative transportation and mobility technologies and ensuring that the United States secures key aspects of the technology supply chain to achieve and maintain our strategic advantage.
In partnership with the Electrification Coalition, SAFE’s sister organization, we work with consumers, businesses, and policymakers, to launch award-winning “real-world” programs and enable the needed polices to accelerate transportation electrification around the country to reduce our Nation’s dependence on oil.
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