State, Ontario Pursuing Agreement On Drone Traffic

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drone-safe-34342

Governor Gretchen Whitmer this week announced Michigan and Ontario are collaborating on a technology initiative involving unmanned aerial systems, more commonly known as drones. Michigan Department of Transportation Office of Aeronautics deputy administrator Bryan Budds said on this week’s MDOT Talking Transportation podcast as drone technology becomes more advanced, there could be practical applications for it.

“There’s kind of that unique short haul, just in time delivery that has shown its real need and importance lately, and then that also translates into the UPS truck that comes down the street or the Amazon truck that comes down the street that has to visit each individual house, pull down the driveway, back up, all of those things,” Budds said.

The delivery driver could avoid having to pull up to each address with the use of a drone. Budds says larger drone traffic could develop between Michigan and Ontario.

“There needs to be a look at what infrastructure needs to be in place to really support that technology, and right now, the infrastructure exists to do those sort of short haul flights, but for something a little bit longer, isn’t necessarily there yet.”

The agreement announced between Michigan and Ontario this week involves studying the feasibility of a commercial drone skyway in three proposed areas, including an international connection between Michigan and Ontario. Budds calls the proposed aerial mobility corridor a “highway in the sky.”