IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - September 2021 - 29

and automated buses to avoid potentially further
perpetuating current issues.
New business models
One way to combat existing barriers to the implementation
of AVs in rural areas is to stimulate new
automotive and ridesharing business models that
help people incorporate AVs into their lives. These
new business models could provide alternatives to
traditional public transportation and ridesharing. Private
companies could potentially lead the mass transition
to AVs. Legacy automobile companies, such
as Ford and BMW, have already taken steps toward
incorporating AV technology
in
their
business
model [6]. However, there are still questions regarding
ethical decisions, infrastructure, and ridesharing
employment in rural communities-problems that
need to be properly assessed and addressed when
creating new technology and developing new business
models. Issues with roadways in rural areas will
need to be overcome, thereby creating a gap in the
market for companies that make AVs that do not
rely on paving guidelines to function. There is also
the issue of inadequate technological infrastructure
in rural areas. The implementation of AVs in rural
areas is largely contingent upon broadband technology,
a field where there is still room for significant
improvement when considering rural communities.
Companies are also anticipating changes in public
transportation, where the interaction of driverless
taxi service and ridesharing is the predominant form
of transportation. Although this model would work
well in urban areas, it would not fit rural areas where
walking and hailing taxis are not the primary form
of transport.
Rural areas at large
It is also important to note that the rural communities
vary across and within states and countries.
Additionally, there are multiple rural definitions, with
some based on population density and geographical
isolation [7]. Across rural communities, there are
also cultural differences. These factors, along with
how close a rural area is to an urban/metropolitan
area and how economically developed is the area
(e.g., agriculture, industrial, tourism, etc.), may also
impact whether AVs are deployed in the rural area
and how quickly it is deployed within the rural area
compared to its urban counterpart. Additionally, it is
important that AV manufacturers and policymakers
September 2021
view rural residents as valuable stakeholders and
include them in the process before deploying AVs in
rural areas. All rural communities are not the same;
therefore, their needs are different, which has an
impact on whether AVs should be deployed in a specific
rural area and how it should be implemented.
And no one is better to answer those questions than
rural residents themselves because they are the ones
that will be impacted the deployment of the AVs in
their communities.
As trAnsportAtion evolves to include AVs,
the transportation needs of rural communities must
be adequately assessed. Sufficient transportation is
vital to the livelihood of rural residents. Therefore,
we must ensure that the current barriers of rural
transportation are adequately addressed and are not
further perpetuated in the development and deployment
of AVs.

 References
[1] F. Duarte and C. Ratti, " The impact of autonomous
vehicles on cities: A review, " J. Urban Technol., vol. 25,
no. 4, pp. 3-18, Oct. 2018.
[2] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Urban and Rural
Household Spending in 2015. Accessed: Oct. 28, 2016.
[Online]. Available: https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/
urban-and-rural-household-spending-in-2015.htm
[3] B. W. McDaniels, D. A. Harley, and D. T. Beach,
" Transportation, accessibility, and accommodation
in rural communities, " in Disability and Vocational
Rehabilitation in Rural Settings: Challenges to
Service Delivery. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2017,
pp. 43-57.
[4] T. Seekins, " Models of rural transportation for people
with disabilities, " ScholarWorks Univ. Montana,
Missoula, MT, USA, Feb. 2007. [Online]. Available:
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/ruralinst_independent_
living_community_participation/31/
[5] C. Henning-Smith, A. Evenson, K. Kozhimannil, and
I. Moscovice, " Geographic variation in transportation
concerns and adaptations to travel-limiting health
conditions in the united states, " J. Transp. Health, vol. 8,
pp. 137-145, Mar. 2018.
[6] CB Insights Research. 40+ Corporations Working
On Autonomous Vehicles. Accessed: Dec. 16,
2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.cbinsights.
com/research/autonomous-driverless-vehiclescorporations-list/
29

https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/urban-and-rural-household-spending-in-2015.htm https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/urban-and-rural-household-spending-in-2015.htm https://scholarworks.umt.edu/ruralinst_independent_living_community_participation/31/ https://scholarworks.umt.edu/ruralinst_independent_living_community_participation/31/ https://www.cbinsights.com/research/autonomous-driverless-vehiclescorporations-list/ https://www.cbinsights.com/research/autonomous-driverless-vehiclescorporations-list/ https://www.cbinsights.com/research/autonomous-driverless-vehiclescorporations-list/

IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - September 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - September 2021