S25 GIRS Seminars- The Role of Autonomous Vehicle Policy in Driving the Future of Mobility

When: Thursday, May 29, 2025
Time: 1:00pm PT
Where: (In-Person) UCLA Engineering 6 BLDG, Rm 580B and ZOOM

Mollie Cohen D’Agostino

Abstract: Autonomous vehicles may contribute to a new safety regulatory frontier and a repositioning of our safety oversight systems. This seminar offers a policy-oriented overview of the evolving AV landscape, with a focus on the intersections of safety, labor, and regulatory innovation. The discussion will highlight recent collaborative research from UC Davis and UCLA exploring how legal scholars and engineers approach safety from different disciplinary perspectives. The seminar will also introduce a blueprint for improving autonomous vehicle safety and early findings from a forthcoming project on labor and safety in the freight sector, with attention to the emerging roles of safety drivers and remote operators. Together, these projects aim to inform policy pathways that ensure AV technologies contribute to mobility systems that are safer, sustainable, and more inclusive.

Short Bio: Mollie Cohen D’Agostino is a transportation policy expert and the Executive Director of the Mobility Science, Automation, and Inclusion Center (MoSAIC) at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies. In partnership with Professor Junshan Zhang of Electrical and Computer Engineering, MoSAIC is advancing the new interdisciplinary field of mobility science, which reimagines the future of transportation systems that are safe, sustainable, and inclusive by design. MoSAIC aims to bring technical and legal experts together to identify research-driven policy solutions, and accompany the advancement of autonomous vehicles and AI for use in transportation. Mollie’s recent publications have focused on automated vehicle policy, mobility data, equitable congestion pricing, and transit payment innovations. Mollie previously led policy outreach and engagement for the UC Institute of Transportation Studies’ Resilient and Innovative Mobility Initiative, which supported a $10 million state-funded research portfolio. Her career spans local and statewide impact, with roles at the Alameda County Transportation Commission, the City of Oakland, and California Environmental Voters. She holds a Master’s in public policy from UC Berkeley’s Goldman School, where she focused on transportation and land use policy, and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.