New Driverless Vehicle Test Track To Open In Westmoreland County Next Fall

A new driverless vehicle test track is set to open in Westmoreland County next fall. The PennSTART research facility, located at the Regional Industrial Development Corporation’s (RIDC) Westmoreland Innovation Center in Mount Pleasant, will feature a two-mile test track for autonomous technology and first responder training.

The $30 million first phase of the project includes an oval track large enough for autonomous vehicles to reach highway speeds. The track will also have space for off-road vehicle testing, allowing for various outdoor scenarios to be simulated. The facility will enable first responders to train in a controlled environment on how to handle traffic incidents involving autonomous and electric vehicles.

This is particularly important, as Gunnar Rhone, an engineering specialist in PennDOT’s Transformational Technology Division, noted that training on actual highways can be impractical and costly. The RIDC president, Don Smith, expects autonomous trucks from companies such as Aurora and Stack to be among the early users of the track.

Currently, these companies test their vehicles in other states, resulting in lost jobs and economic benefits for the region. The PennSTART facility will differentiate itself from other autonomous technology testing facilities, such as SunTrax in Florida and Mcity in Michigan, with its sloping track that mimics hills and pavement designed to withstand ← →