Planning for Walking and Cycling in an Autonomous-Vehicle Future

Over the last few decades, walking and cycling have increased in the United States, especially in large cities. Efforts to further promote active travel will occur during a time when increasingly automated vehicles will perform more and more driving tasks without human input. Little is known about impacts of an increasingly automated vehicle fleet on pedestrians and cyclists. This study uses semi-structured interviews with experts from academia as well as public and private sectors to: (1) explore potential synergies and conflicts between increasingly automated motorized vehicles and active travel; (2) highlight planning and policy priorities for promoting active travel in a time of emerging automated and connected vehicles; (3) identify areas of future research on planning for active travel in an automated vehicle future. While connected and automated vehicles (C/AVs) promise to make roadways safer for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians, some potential hazards exist related to communication, behavior, technical capabilities in the near term. In the long-term, C/AVs may have drastic impacts on infrastructure, the built environment, and land use, but these impacts are likely to vary by locality. The federal and state governments will likely play a role in ensuring that connected and automated vehicles operate safely, but local governments will likely determine how automated vehicles are integrated into the transportation network. This study also examines when and how bicycle and pedestrian planners should get involved in planning for C/AVs, and who they should work with.

• Record URL:
  http://www.matsutc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Planning-for-Walking-and-Cycling-in-an-Autonomous-Future.pdf
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Mid-Atlantic Transportation Sustainability Center

  University of Virginia
  Charlottesville, VA  United States 

  Virginia Tech

  Department of Urban Affairs and Planning
  140 Otey St.
  Blackburg, VA  United States  24061

  University of Virginia, Charlottesville

  Department of Urban and Environmental Planning, P.O. Box 400122
  Charlottesville, VA  United States  22904

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Botello, Bryan
  • Buehler, Ralph
  • Hankey, Steve
  • Jiang, Zhiqiu
  • Mondschein, Andrew
• Publication Date: 2018-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 42p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycling; Connected vehicles; Cyclists; Intelligent vehicles; Nonmotorized transportation; Pedestrians; Transportation planning; Walking
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01689898
• Record Type: Publication
• Contract Numbers: DTRT13-G-UTC33
• Files: UTC, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Dec 27 2018 10:59AM