initial applications for automated vehicles on exclusive roadways

Initial Applications for Automated Vehicles on Exclusive Roadways

Advanced Transit Association Annual Technical Meeting

January 11, 2009

Washington, DC

Robert Johnson

R. E. Johnson ConsultingRockville, Maryland

www.REJConsult.com

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Examples ofSmall Automated Road Vehicles

CyberCab: proposed by 2getthere which developed the first public automated road vehicle (ParkShuttle)

ULTra: scheduled to begin service in 2009 at Heathrow airport, London

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Alternative Interior Layouts and Service Concepts

Typical PRT– Two fixed seats– Two fold-down seats

– Could have pure PRT or some sharing

“Automated Microbus”– Four fixed seats– Two fold-down seats– More suitable for

shared operation

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Benefits of Exclusive Roadway

• Narrow -- 6 ft (1.8 m) or less wide

• Only need 6.5 ft (2.0 m ) vertical clearance

• Light duty construction

• Much safer without human drivers in other vehicles

• Much simpler control system

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Exclusive RoadwayElevated, At Grade, Under Existing Bridge

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ULTra System at Heathrow Airport

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Stations and Interchanges

• Similar to to ULTra system connecting Heathrow Terminal 5 to parking lot, because...

• Decision makers are very conservative

• Heathrow design suitable for a number of applications

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In Example Applications, Stations are on Loop at End of Two-Way Line

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Application Characteristics

• Small system -- 1 to 4 lane miles (2 to 6 lane km ) of “guideway”

• Extends some other mode

– Rail Transit: system provides rail station access

– Airport: provides landside circulation

• Auto congestion an issue, but...

• Low enough density in immediate area that space available for guideway

• Limited snow/ice, so can melt with guideway heating

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Applications in Suburban Washington, DC

• Montgomery College Connector -- College is next to heavy rail line, but between stations

• DANAC Station Connector -- Provides access to station on planned BRT or light rail system

• College Park Engineering Connector -- Serves existing heavy rail and planned BRT or light rail

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Space Under Route 1 Bridge May be Usablefor Automated Vehicle Lanes

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Next Steps in Analyzing an Application

• Is guideway layout really feasible?

• Compute infrastructure cost

• Determine station-to-station (free flow) travel time and average wait time

• Find ridership by running existing 4-step model for area with automated system in place

• Determine fleet size, VMT, system costs, and benefit/cost ratio

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For more information about the applicationsshown here and others, please see:

www.AutoRoadVehicles.com