What’s three feet long, two feet wide, weighs a few hundred pounds and can drive itself down a street or sidewalk to deliver cargo? Why a personal delivery device, of course. Never heard of one? Me neither . . . until this legislative session when the General Assembly authorized their (future) use. S.L. 2020-73 (S 739). What exactly is a personal delivery device? It is an electrically powered device made for transporting cargo. Personal delivery devices are equipped with automated driving technology that permits them to operate with or without the remote support and supervision of a human. They weigh 500 pounds or less (excluding their cargo), are 40 inches or less in length, and are 30 inches or less wide. Where and how many they be used? S.L. 2020-73 (S 739) permits a business, on or after December 1, 2020, to operate a personal delivery device (PDD) in a pedestrian area (a sidewalk, crosswalk, school crossing zone, or safety zone) or on a street or highway, subject to certain conditions. The PDD must be monitored by an operator who is able to remotely control the device. The PDD may not exceed 10 miles per hour in a pedestrian area. The PDD may be operated on a street or highway only if necessary to cross the street or highway or if a sidewalk is not accessible. Even then, the PDD may not be operated on a street or highway with a speed limit greater than 35 miles per hour. In those [...]
Faculty Coordinators
