AAA of Northern California, Nevada and Utah recently acquired GoMentum Station, the largest autonomous vehicle test site in the country, from Contra Costa County Transportation Authority (CCTA) for an undisclosed sum, according to a report in FutureStructure.

AAA believes it can leverage its expertise as a transportation advocate to build upon the foundation CCTA has established at GoMentum and ensure safety is a top priority in developing AV technology.

CCTA will continue to play a role in the Bay Area test site’s day-to-day operations. For example, CCTA will carry on its work supervising procedures and processes to authorize automakers and others testing at GoMentum Station to test on public streets, reports FutureStructure.

With the new acquisition, the West Coast AAA chapter intends to expand the facility’s scope of AV testing projects, which presently range from self-driving personal cars to shuttle vehicles. For example, in February, GoMentum Station plans to debut a "signal lab" to test AV infrastructure including roadside connectivity equipment, notes the report.

The goal of the signal lab is to help cities test multiple dedicated short-range communications technologies to determine how they function with the city’s existing infrastructure. This process will assist in enhancing efficiency and keeping costs down when cities ultimately implement the new technology.

With AAA at the helm, more resources for both capital improvements and staff will be available for GoMentum Station, according to the report.