Strategic public transport design using autonomous vehicles and other new technologies

Abstract

We examine potential improvements to public transport systems induced by the autonomous vehicle technology (AVT). To do so, we study a feeder system that operates on-demand in an idealized local zone, and the design of a trunk system that operates over a more general city model and with traditional lines. It is shown that the AVT encourages larger fleets of smaller vehicles that follow more direct routes, when compared with the traditional technology (TT). In both sub-systems, the total savings induced by the AVT reach up to one third of TT's costs. Congestion could increase by a marginal amount.