TORONTO

The city is preparing for the day self-driving cars hit Toronto’s streets.

And that day could come in the next decade, according to city hall’s congestion management plan.

Transportation services general manager Stephen Buckley confirmed the city has created an “autonomous vehicle preparedness” working group to get ready for driverless vehicles. Google and other companies have already revealed they are working on perfecting self-driving cars.

“Folks, think that we’re either advocating or supporting it, my bigger concern is whether or not they just happen to us one day,” Buckley told the Toronto Sun on Wednesday. “We just want to start thinking about what steps would we need to put in place to be able to manage and operate should they come.

“They’ll probably be permitted at a provincial or federal level at which point we have then just simply have to deal with the fallout of it.”

The city is aiming to “ensure that these technologies are introduced in a socially, environmentally and fiscally sustainable manner,” the congestion management report says.

“Industry reviews suggest that the introduction of ‘connected’ and ‘autonomous’ vehicles will improve mobility and safety on our urban streets, and that these vehicles may be widely available for purchase within 10 years.”

The working group is tasked with developing a list of municipal regulations, operational procedures and licensing needs for such vehicles.

“We’re just giving some thought about what steps would we want to take to protect the city’s interests in the event that they do come,” Buckley said, adding those interests would include everything from new infrastructure requirements, possible liabilities and curb space design.

don.peat@sunmedia.ca