Autonomous Vehicle Adoption: Assessing Operational and Environmental Impacts

Autonomous vehicles represent an evolution in transportation technology and the system of transportation itself. The vehicles will change how current transportation infrastructure is utilized, along with how people use transportation, and the environmental impacts of the transportation system. App based autonomous taxis are considered, using a stated-preference survey approach to understand how commuters value different aspects of this mode of transportation. This includes characteristics of modes such as travel time, cost, access time and other commuter specific characteristics. A case study is made of Madison, Wisconsin, a midsized city in the Midwest, which has an extensive bus system and prevalent bicycle culture. A mixed logit model is utilized to analyze the survey data, and scenarios are utilized to posit different conditions that impact the appeal of the modes of transportation. A mode choice model was developed to identify potential users of autonomous vehicles and shifts in demand between different transportation modes. The results indicate a value of time of $17 per hour for personal vehicles, $14 per hour for autonomous vehicles and $20 per hour for buses and an additional $22 per hour for access time to bus. The environmental impact due to the introduction of autonomous taxis is determined through assessing the shifts in demand for the different transportation modes, and utilizing the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model to categorize the environmental impacts into greenhouse gas emission, particular matter, and energy consumption. It was found that the introduction of autonomous taxis would increase the environmental impact of the transportation system, due to users switching from less environmentally intensive travel options, such as buses, to the autonomous taxis. The findings estimate an expected 5.6% increase in energy consumption (kj/mile), 5.7% increase in greenhouse gas emissions (kg/mile) and 8% increase in particulate matter (mg/mile).

• Record URL:
  https://ctedd.uta.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/CTEDD_AV_Adoption_Hicks_Report.pdf
• Record URL:
  http://hdl.handle.net/10106/29238
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/53553
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Cover title: Autonomous Vehicle Adoption: Assessing Environmental and Operational Impacts. This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Wisconsin, Madison

  Madison, WI  United States  53706

  Center for Transportation Equity, Decisions & Dollars (CTEDD)

  University of Texas at Arlington
  Arlington, TX  United States  76019

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Hicks, Andrea
  • Ahn, Soyoung
  • Kontar, Wissam
• Publication Date: 2019-12-31

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 29p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Autonomous vehicles; Case studies; Commuters; Energy consumption; Environmental impacts; Evaluation and assessment; Logits; Mode choice; Particulates; Pollutants; Stated preferences; Surveys; Taxicabs; Travel demand; Value of time
• Geographic Terms: Madison (Wisconsin)
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01742536
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: UTC, NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 16 2020 4:24PM