Self-Driving Cars Are Coming to Boston

But will they use their blinkah?

Photo via AP

Photo via AP

Boston streets: born of haphazard cow paths, as legend has it, occasionally populated by space-savers, and soon, home to driverless cars.

Mayor Marty Walsh announced a deal with Switzerland’s World Economic Forum to test self-driving cars on city streets. The yearlong partnership between the WEF, the Office of New Urban Mechanics, and the city’s transportation department will develop tests and policy recommendations for implementing the autonomous vehicles.

“We are focused on the future of our city and how we safely move people around while providing them with reliable mobility choices,” Walsh said in a statement Wednesday. “With our startups and educational institutions, Boston is a leader in technology, robotics and innovation. Together with our partners, we know the City of Boston is ready to lead the charge on this transformative technology.”

Details, like the number of cars and a timetable for their arrival, remain sparse. But Kris Carter, co-chairman of the Office of New Urban Mechanics, told the Herald that the city could enlist the help of local universities and automakers with research labs in the area. In the coming weeks, city officials will conduct focus groups with residents to discuss the initiative.

By any measure, the self-driving cars can’t be any worse than the job we’ve been doing. Last week, auto insurer Allstate declared Boston drivers the worst in the country.