Zoox in Bellevue? AVs discussed at EBRT, City Hall
Zoox in Bellevue? AVs discussed at EBRT, City Hall
If you popped by our most recent Executive Business Roundtable session or City Hall this last week, you may also be sporting some rose (sea foam?) colored glasses when it comes to the future of autonomous vehicles and transportation.
Zoox — a subsidiary of Amazon — set its course for Bellevue, hosting an informational community event right downtown, and for a more formal conversation with the Eastside’s top business leaders at EBRT. We were joined by Amazon’s Charles Knutson and Zoox’s Paul Escobar for the discussion, and our very own, Joe Fain, moderated.
“Washington has a lot of work ahead to pave the way for AV adoption,” said Fain. “Jurisdictions across the country, red and blue alike, have leapfrogged us since Governor Inslee established a framework for AV testing more than a decade ago.”
“But the potential benefits from greater affordability and convenience, and above all, improved safety, make it worth coming together to establish a comprehensive framework for commercial service in Washington.”
Learn more about Zoox here, and hopefully, we will see them hit our streets soon enough!
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Bellevue Chamber President & CEO Joe Fain: “In practical terms, this means taxpayers and employers from every corner of Washington would be directly subsidizing the City of Seattle’s budget.”
Read the editorial: https://lnkd.in/g-MttGZa
As we evaluate the legislation, we’re focused on affordability impacts for families and employers, whether outcomes are tangible in communities, and how the policy affects long-term budget sustainability and Washington’s competitiveness.
Chamber President & CEO Joe Fain also flagged several structural issues that need closer review, including treatment of pass-through entities, charitable deductions, a potential marriage penalty, and interactions with other state tax policies.
Read more: https://lnkd.in/g8Uv_wD4