California County Welcomes Autonomous Vehicle Testing In a unanimous vote this week, Merced County supervisors finalized a long-awaited contract with the Transportation Research Center Inc., opening the door to the immediate testing of autonomous vehicles. by Abbie Lauten-Scrivner, Merced Sun-Star / February 3, 2021 Shutterstock/Just Super (TNS) — In a unanimous and enthusiastic vote on Tuesday, the Merced County Board of Supervisors put the official stamp of approval on a contract that local officials say will put local autonomous vehicle test...