As automated vehicle technology advances across the United States, two major cities are exploring ways to fully automate sections of their mass transit systems, despite ongoing financial and technical challenges. Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles are pursuing projects aimed at removing human operators from subway trains, joining Honolulu, which already operates a fully automated transit line.

Washington’s Metro system, which opened in 1976 with partial automation features, has historically required onboard operators, particularly after a fatal collision in 2009 near the Fort Totten station. That crash, which killed nine people and injured many, was attributed by the National Transportation Safety Board to a maintenance failure in the automated signaling system. Metro officials emphasize that this problem was unrelated to the current automated train operation systems restored in recent years.

Randy Clarke, CEO of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, said the current system is “highly regulated, highly documented, very proficient,” noting that the 2009 crash had long impeded plans for further automation. Metro’s Board of Directors approved a nearly $1 billion upgrade plan in April to modernize the Red Line with enhanced safety measures, such as platform screen doors, aiming to enable trains to run without onboard operators as early as 2033. Clarke added that even if trains become fully automated, personnel would still be necessary for maintenance and emergency response.

In Los Angeles, officials are conducting an environmental review for a proposed fully automated underground rail line that would pass beneath the Santa Monica Mountains, a notorious traffic bottleneck separating the Westside and the San Fernando Valley. The new route, part of the Sepulveda Project, would employ shorter, more frequent trains and include station platform doors to improve passenger safety. Cecily Way, who oversees the project’s planning, said the proposed technology would build upon existing driver-operated lines in the region.

Honolulu, by contrast, already operates the Skyline automated elevated light metro transit system, which opened three years ago and expanded last year to cover 19 miles. Vance Tsuda, the project director, highlighted the system’s safety record with no crashes or injuries attributed to automation. He argued that fully automated systems could be safer than hybrid or human-operated ones due to reduced potential for operator error.

However, critics remain cautious. Labor unions have voiced opposition to driverless trains, warning about risks during emergencies. John Samuelson, international president of the Transport Workers Union and a former New York subway employee, described automation as “a catastrophe waiting to happen,” citing concerns over passengers needing to self-evacuate in hazardous conditions.

Experts also point to the challenge of maintaining public trust. David King, an associate professor of urban planning at Arizona State University, noted that automated transit systems must achieve near-perfect safety records to be publicly accepted. He compared public sector tolerance for failure to private industry standards, emphasizing the heightened scrutiny when government-operated systems are involved.

Despite these hurdles, proponents believe automation in major U.S. transit systems could pave the way for wider adoption. Baruch Feigenbaum, senior managing director at the Reason Foundation, said successful projects in Washington or Los Angeles would demonstrate the feasibility of fully autonomous mass transit and encourage other cities to consider similar upgrades.