The Biggest Transportation Breakthroughs of 2014

When considering how to summarize the Year in Transportation that was 2014, it's tempting just to compile a list of Uber-related incidents or scandals or lawsuits or absurdities and call it a day. But as much as the human and hive minds are drawn toward negative news, there were some truly uplifting mobility breakthroughs this year far more deserving of a digital curtain call. Though you probably haven't heard the last of them: much of what happened in transportation in 2014 will change the way we'll travel around cities for many years to come.

The Self-Driving Car Conquers Cities. As CityLab first reported, back in April, Google's self-driving car has graduated from the relative simplicity of freeways (speed up, slow down, shift lanes) to the dynamic hazards of urban roadways. The company upped the ante a month later by releasing early (and adorable) design prototypes for an autonomous car that it hopes to produce and test on California streets. It's only a matter of time before these transformative cars—or ones inspired by them—will reach streets near you.