Self-Driving Electric Vehicles for Smart and Sustainable Mobility: Evaluation and Feasibility Study for Educational and Medical Campuses

Automated Vehicles (AVs) have the potential to improve transportation safety, increase system capacity, enhance mobility, and solve the first- and last- mile problem associated with public transportation. This project has three interrelated objectives: (1) to evaluate the technical feasibility, safety and reliability of a low-speed, self-driving shuttle known as Olli; (2) to research the public policy changes needed to allow for AVs to be tested and driven on New York State public roads; and (3) to conduct an evaluation of the costs and benefits of using AV technology on a realistic case study involving the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) in downtown Buffalo. The study tested Olli on the University at Buffalo (UB) Proving Grounds for Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs), using a set of twelve testing scenarios. Riders of Olli were surveyed and the results from these surveys, along with the results from other surveys conducted in the Buffalo-Niagara region, were analyzed to determine the factors that contribute to public acceptance of AV technologies in an effort to address them. The study also developed a new set of four principles, which the authors called the “Buffalo Principles,” to facilitate taking the legal and regulatory action required for the sustainable testing and deployment of AVs. Finally, the project conducted a simulation study and a business case analysis of a scenario involving developing a small fleet of the self-driving shuttle Olli to serve the first- and last- mile segments of trips undertaken by a subset of BNMC employees.

• Record URL:
  https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/trans-r-and-d-repository/C-17-01.pdf
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/57047
• Corporate Authors:

  University at Buffalo

  93 Oak St.
  Buffalo, NY  United States  14260

  Wendel

  Williamsville, NY  United States 

  Global Dynamic Group

  New York, NY  United States 

  Niagara International Transportation Tech Coalition

  93 Oak St.
  Buffalo, NY  United States  14203

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

  17 Columbia Circle
  Albany, NY  United States  12203

  New York State Department of Transportation

  Albany, NY  United States  12232
• Authors:
  • Sadek, Adel W
  • Qiao, Chunming
  • Dmowski, Roman
  • Shi, Yunpeng Felix
  • Bartlett, Andrew
  • Sapphire, Joah
  • Wolff, John
  • Madra, Steve
  • Colvin, Elizabeth C
  • Leydecker, Michael
  • Duchscherer, David C
• Publication Date: 2021-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 234p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Campus transportation; Electric vehicles; Evaluation; Feasibility analysis; Intelligent vehicles; Mathematical models; Mobility; Public policy; Shuttle buses; Simulation; Sustainable transportation; Vehicle tests
• Identifier Terms: University at Buffalo
• Geographic Terms: Buffalo (New York)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01777951
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: C-17-01, 21-16
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jul 27 2021 4:00PM