Skip to Content
Streetsblog San Francisco home
Streetsblog San Francisco home
Log In
Streetsblog USA

Toyota Official: Driverless Cars Could Encourage Sprawl

For all the hype surrounding driverless cars, no one knows exactly what their broader implications may be. This week one car designer suggested automated vehicles could deal a setback to trends in the U.S. toward less driving and more sustainable modes.

Will driverless cars promote more sprawl? Photo: Wikipedia
false

At the Automated Vehicles Symposium in San Francisco, Ken Laberteaux, senior principal scientist for Toyota’s North American team studying future transportation, spoke with a Bloomberg reporter about the potential for unwelcome outcomes, including more sprawl.

“U.S. history shows that anytime you make driving easier, there seems to be this inexhaustible desire to live further from things,” Laberteaux said. “The pattern we’ve seen for a century is people turn more speed into more travel, rather than maybe saying ‘I’m going to use my reduced travel time by spending more time with my family.’”

He said tolling could be a potential solution, but then went on to question the political practicality of that approach. “We’ve created an entire culture and economy based on the notion that transportation is cheap,” he said.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog San Francisco

Dangerous Intersection on Freitas Parkway Claims Life of Beloved Mountain Bike Coach

The deadly crash was preventable and should have been anticipated due to a history of similar collisions at the same location

July 9, 2025

Estuary Water Shuttle Adds Tuesday Service

Cyclists and pedestrians asked if they could get some more Woodstock. Today/Tuesday they got it with the start of six-day-a-week service

July 8, 2025
See all posts