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Transportation Research Center to Manage Arizona Proving Ground for Automated Driving Systems

 

SURPRISE, ARIZONA – Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC), North America’s foremost independent mobility testing and research organization and leader in advanced driving systems research, has been selected to assume day-to-day management of a 5,500-acre automated driving and mobility testing facility outside the Phoenix suburb of Surprise, Arizona.

Following Waymo’s recent acquisition of the property, Transportation Research Center Inc. will operate and support the Arizona proving ground under an agreement with Waymo LLC, bringing TRC’s five decades of experience in transportation research, test-facility management, vehicle operations, safety protocols and advanced mobility validation to one of the nation’s most significant controlled testing environments for automated driving systems.

At the Arizona proving ground, TRC engineers, technicians, mechanics and vehicle operators will work alongside leading mobility and technology companies to develop, validate and refine automated driving technologies destined to transform how people and goods move.

“This is an important expansion of TRC’s national footprint and a strong affirmation of the experience, discipline and technical expertise our team brings to advanced mobility testing,” said Brett Roubinek, President and CEO of Transportation Research Center Inc.

The Arizona facility includes a 115-acre city course, 35-acre vehicle dynamics area, four-mile oval track and freeway course purpose-built for automated driving and advanced mobility testing. Its broad range of roadway environments, multiple test surfaces and large-scale controlled setting allow innovators to safely and repeatedly evaluate complex driving scenarios, motion-control performance, operational workflows, vehicle behavior and system readiness under real-world conditions. The facility also provides an important hot-weather testing environment for vehicle systems, components and technologies that must perform reliably under demanding climate conditions.

TRC will provide the operational structure, technical staff and proven safety culture needed to support testing in a secure, confidential and highly controlled environment. Services at the Arizona facility will include facility operations, test support, vehicle preparation, vehicle maintenance, test execution, data-collection support, safety procedures, operational training support and customized client services.

“Advanced mobility companies need more than pavement and road signs,” Roubinek said. “They need experienced people who understand how to create safe, repeatable, efficient, and technically valid testing environments. That is what TRC has done for generations, and that is what our Arizona team will deliver every day.”

The Arizona operation creates career opportunities for people interested in working at the forefront of automated driving, advanced transportation, and applied technology. TRC is hiring for a variety of Arizona-based roles, including engineers, engineering technicians, test technicians, vehicle mechanics, vehicle operators, test drivers, facility maintenance technicians, operations coordinators, safety support staff, site operations personnel and other technical and operational positions.

These candidates will have experience in automotive technology, vehicle testing and system validation, electronics, robotics, automated vehicle operations, test execution, data collection and analysis, and related technical fields. Candidates who join TRC’s Arizona team will work in a collaborative environment supporting some of the world’s most advanced mobility technologies and receive market-leading employee benefits including health insurance, 401k retirement plan, tuition assistance, and day-one, comprehensive paid-time-off.

Those interested in career opportunities with TRC may visit TRC’s careers page.