by Jonathan Eberle | Oct 30, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona State Senator David Farnsworth (R-LD10), chairman of both the Senate Appropriations and Transportation committees, is pushing to bring private-sector innovation to Arizona’s public transportation system.
In a recent meeting with Uber policy officials, Farnsworth called for new partnerships that harness technology and market-based solutions to make transit in the East Valley more efficient, cost-effective, and responsive to residents’ needs.
The meeting focused on exploring how companies like Uber could play a larger role in shaping Arizona’s transportation future — particularly through autonomous vehicle technology. Farnsworth highlighted the success of similar programs by Waymo and urged Uber to consider developing comparable systems that could supplement or even replace traditional fixed-route bus services.
“We have a responsibility to find effective solutions for the people of Arizona, rather than simply maintaining inefficient systems that waste taxpayer funds,” Farnsworth said. “Meeting with companies like Uber highlights a significant opportunity to let innovation take the lead.”
Farnsworth emphasized that current bus routes often operate with minimal ridership, resulting in high operational costs with limited public benefit. By contrast, autonomous ride-share models could provide flexible, on-demand transit available around the clock — reducing taxpayer burden while improving reliability and safety.
The senator framed his proposal as part of a broader effort to prioritize fiscal responsibility and smart governance. “Autonomous vehicles can provide safer and more efficient transportation, and I will keep working to ensure that Arizona remains at the forefront of realistic and sustainable travel options for the future,” he added.
Farnsworth’s initiative reflects a growing movement among Arizona lawmakers to integrate private-sector innovation into state infrastructure systems. As the East Valley continues to grow, policymakers are looking toward new ways to connect residents to jobs, schools, and local businesses — without expanding costly and underused public transit routes.
If discussions progress, Farnsworth’s collaboration with Uber could mark a turning point for Arizona’s approach to public transportation, signaling a shift toward efficiency, adaptability, and technology-driven mobility.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | Aug 18, 2025 | Economy, News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Pittsburgh-based autonomous trucking company Aurora Innovation Inc. has officially opened a terminal in Phoenix, marking a significant step in the company’s efforts to expand its commercial footprint beyond Texas.
The newly operational site supports driverless freight runs, including nighttime operations, and is part of Aurora’s strategy to scale its autonomous vehicle network across the southwestern United States. The company confirmed that the Phoenix terminal opened in June and is already servicing commercial routes for two of its key partners: Hirschbach Motor Lines and Werner Enterprises.
This development follows Aurora’s earlier announcement, reported last fall, that it would extend its existing autonomous freight corridor — which previously connected Fort Worth and El Paso — to include Phoenix. The move marks Aurora’s first expansion outside of Texas and signals growing confidence in its driverless trucking technology.
While Aurora declined to provide the terminal’s exact location, a company spokesperson said it is situated a few miles from the Loop 202 and Interstate 10 interchange in Phoenix — a strategic logistics hub for commercial transport. Details on staffing at the terminal, including how many employees are currently working on site or whether they are permanently based in Arizona, were not disclosed.
The expansion comes as Aurora and its competitors in the self-driving freight sector race to commercialize their technology at scale. With rising demand for long-haul freight solutions and persistent driver shortages, autonomous trucking is increasingly being positioned as a critical innovation in the logistics industry.
Aurora has not yet announced additional expansion locations, but its continued growth outside of Texas suggests a broader national rollout may be on the horizon.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 14, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Goldwater Institute has issued a report praising Arizona for pioneering “a freedom-based environment” for the development, testing, and deployment of autonomous vehicles or AVs.
Goldwater pointed to Executive Order 2015-09, signed by then-Governor Doug Ducey in 2015, which established a framework for development and testing requirements as the starting point for the free-market model.
The report highlighted the benefits of AVs, which for one manufacturer operated with 81% fewer airbag deployments, 78% fewer injury-causing crashes, and 62% fewer police-reported crashes than human-driven vehicles with over 20 million miles of rider-only service as of September 2024.
In a statement to AZ Free News Goldwater explained, “It’s not just about safer roads. AVs are revolutionizing mobility for elderly and disabled riders while unlocking massive economic potential. Unlike human drivers, AVs don’t get tired, distracted, or impaired—meaning fewer crashes and a more reliable transportation network.
“Yet while Arizona embraces the future, other states are slamming the brakes. Burdensome ‘driver in’ laws and city-level red tape threaten to stifle innovation and send AV companies packing. The question for policymakers is simple: regulate for yesterday, or innovate for tomorrow?”
According to the report, the 2015 EO, along with a 2018 follow-up to modernize the existing order to adapt to new technologies, were later enshrined into Arizona law by the legislature in 2021. Since the policy’s inception, 13 AV manufacturers have gained permission from state authorities to test and operate AVs in the state.
In its policy report, Goldwater argues that other states should adopt a policy similar to Arizona’s, referred to as “permissionless innovation” to “avoid erecting unnecessary regulatory barriers to AV innovation in order to reap the full benefits of this game-changing technology.” In particular, Goldwater criticized the innovation stifling single-party system in California where AV makers can wait over two years from proposal to deployment and a bill has advanced that would permit cities to create permitting requirements and restrict AVs’ hours of operations on city roads.
However, they add that other states are skewing in the opposite direction, instead applying regressive “Driver In” bills as well as municipal-level permitting regimes that lead to a Byzantine system of fragmented, inconsistent regulation.
Goldwater noted, “These efforts, driven by special interests and speculative fears, ignore the clear benefits and real-world data accumulated from years of studying AV safety.”
The think-tank observed that the experience gained in Arizona “offers a counterpoint—and a roadmap. States that follow the Arizona Model will not only attract investment and jobs, but also position themselves at the forefront of transportation’s next revolution. The choice facing lawmakers is simple: regulate for yesterday, or innovate for tomorrow. The roads of the future will see autonomous vehicles. And Arizona is already miles ahead.“
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
