The Alliance Logistics District’s creation was announced in November as a partnership between Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, Hillwood, a real estate development company, and Fort Worth. “[This is] a first-of-its-kind district that enables advanced logistics operations, including autonomous and heavy-haul freight movement,” said Nicholas Konen, vice president of strategic development at Hillwood. The Alliance Logistics District is one of the latest developments in the master-planned community that Hillwood launched, known as AllianceTexas. It consists of three streets: Mobility Way, Distribution Drive and Intermodal Parkway. The streets are designed so that only vehicles carrying cargo can use them, with the goal of faster and more cost-effective transportation through autonomous and semiautonomous shuttles, according to a Hillwood news release. Konen said the district should reduce congestion on nearby public roadways and lower operational costs that would impact customers. AllianceTexas has had a cumulative economic impact of $142.9 billion since it opened in 1990, according to a Feb. 24 presentation given to Fort Worth officials. Local communities have invested an estimated $4.55 billion in property taxes since the opening of AllianceTexas, according to its most recent economic report. “The partnership between Hillwood and the city and all of our other public partners is stronger and more active than it’s ever been,” Hillwood President Mike Berry said. The features Konen said the logistics district provides a more predictable environment for the technology than traditional public roadways would. “This controlled setting allows for safer integration of advanced vehicle technologies while maintaining oversight and adaptability as conditions change,” he said. The vehicles used at the logistics district are designed for predictable freight movements between facilities and warehouses, Konen said. Aurora, a self-driving technology company, will start a new driverless trucking service from Fort Worth to El Paso this year, according to a company news release.