Automated Vehicles and the Rethinking of Mobility and Cities

Abstract

The project CityMobil2 has carried out a forward-looking exercise to investigate a lternative cybermobility scenarios, including both niche and large-market innovations, and their impacts on European cities and their transport systems. \ud The paper describes the current status of and main trends in automated vehicles, a preliminary vision of the future city with mobility supported mainly by automated vehicles, and freight distribution. The expected positive impacts derive from the development of car sharing, the reduction of space required for parking vehicles, the possibilities for older people or those with disabilities to use cars, the enhancement of safety, and the improvement of efficiency of the transport system

Sustainable Accessibility and the Implementation of Automated Vehicles: Identifying Critical Decisions

“…As AVs will have the ability to geographically separate themselves from their users while heading to their designated parking spots, not only streets will see a massive reduction on the number of cars parked on them, but also parking areas will be very dense. This density will be possible because AVs do not need to open their doors once parked as there are no passengers inside having to leave the cabin [35]. This will contribute to saving urban space.…”

“…AVs will also represent a benefit regarding higher accessibility levels for people with some form of health condition, disability, and visual impairment, or the elderly [35] (Critical decision: social exclusion). These individuals will stop finding it challenging or impossible to use a car on their own, which will be a massive benefit, particularly for those living in remote areas with inadequate public transport provision.…”

How Can Autonomous and Connected Vehicles, Electromobility, BRT, Hyperloop, Shared Use Mobility and Mobility-As-A-Service Shape Transport Futures for the Context of Smart Cities?

“…In theory at least, fully connected driverless vehicles have the capacity to transform urban development as known today, with a revolution in ground transport, regulations permitting, that could dramatically change the landscape of cities and have an enormous economic, social, spatial, and mobility impact [4].…”

What influences the decision to use automated public transport? Using UTAUT to understand public acceptance of automated road transport systems

“…41 The ARTS vehicles range in capacity between 2 and 10 passengers, and their aim is to provide 42 public transport options when demand is low or pick-up points are far apart. Also known as 43 'cyber-cars', these vehicles operate within existing infrastructure, and can be deployed in a 44 shared environment among pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and cars (Alessandrini,45 Campagna, Delle Site, Filippi, & Persia, 2015). To date, CityMobil2 has implemented seven 46 demonstrations of ARTS in various cities across Europe, including large scale demonstrations 47 in La Rochelle in France, Lausanne in Switzerland, and Trikala in Greece.…”