Tag Archives: city of seattle

The Capitol Hill Autonomous Vehicle Zone — More driverless robotaxi testing comes to Seattle

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(Image: Cruise)

More companies have begun testing self-driving car fleets in Seattle including on the streets of Capitol Hill. CHS readers and eyewitnesses around the neighborhood’s core streets have reported seeing the autonomous Cruise vehicles — with a human driver on board ready to take control under current City of Seattle testing requirements.

“We’ve got a playbook running now,” Kyle Vogt, president of the General Motors-backed company said. “Scout a city, augment our datasets, retrain, validate, and go. Once we’re up and running, the data keeps streaming in.” Continue reading →

Anticipating wave of 5G demand, Seattle setting rules for how its pricey ‘Small Wireless Facility’ installations should look

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It’s the season for City of Seattle feedback gathering. Next up, the Seattle Department of Transportation wants your input on how a small but important element of your telecom environment fits onto the streets of Capitol Hill and across the city.

Feedback on the city’s Small Wireless Facility (SWF) design standards are hoped help to reduce “visual impacts to the streets and sidewalks that form the public right-of-way”  — especially as 5G technology rolls out across the city:

Most often installed on poles in the public right-of-way, SWF are antennas and related equipment that are smaller than traditional cell towers and extend wireless network coverage. With more people using smart phones and relying on mobile connectivity, wireless providers will need to increase the capacity of their networks and will want to install more SWF throughout Seattle.

The city’s new proposed design standards would apply to devices installed on both metal and wood poles in Seattle’s right-of-way including telephone poles and streetlights. Continue reading →