Boston drivers lost an average of 48 hours to traffic in 2020 — down from 101 hours in 2019 — according to an INRIX report. The city’s congestion now ranks fourth in the United States, behind New York, Philadelphia and Chicago.

In a city of chaotic traffic and hopeful climate goals, the research of Stanford University Postdoctoral Scholar Mauro Salazar in the prospect of driverless vehicles models the desire for a more efficient transportation system.