Ford has chosen Austin, Texas as the third U.S. launch market for self-driving vehicles, joining Washington D.C. and Miami-Dade county, Florida.  Austin has been the fastest growing metro region in America in each of the last eight years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Vehicle use in the Austin region is projected to double by 2040, while highway capacity will only grow by 15 percent, underscoring Austin's need to explore more diverse and efficient transportation solutions.  Ford is partnering with Argo AI on the self-driving project, with the goal of integrating self-driving cars into Austin's existing transportation infrastructure.  Over the coming months, vehicle-mounted sensors will be used to create high-resolution, 3D maps of streets, buildings and all permanent static objects in areas where they plan to operate.