(Portland, OR) -- Mayor Ted Wheeler is helping spearhead an initiative to have self-driving cars cruise the streets of Portland by the end of this year. Wheeler and City Commissioner Dan Saltzman say the initiative is called the Smart Autonomous Vehicles Initiative. The mayor says the program can help the city of Portland benefit from cutting-edge technology that expands access to public transit and reduces pollution and congestion. The Portland Bureau of Transportation has been directed to advance the initiative within the next 60 days.