Access Benefits of Shared Autonomous Vehicle Fleets: Focus on Vulnerable Populations

Abstract

This research monetizes the access benefits of making shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) available to residents of Texas’ Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in the U.S. Residents’ willingness to pay for SAV access under different fares and modes was estimated and compared across the region’s 5,386 traffic zones, with emphasis on those housing the regions’ most vulnerable or access-limited travelers. Assuming a $0.50/mi SAV fare, the average per-person-trip benefit is estimated to be $0.64 per trip. With $0.50/mi SAV fare, HV mode share will be reduced from 92.4% to 40.3%, while SAV will take 55.8% of the share. However, if HVs are then disallowed (removed from everyone s mode choice set) after $0.50/mile SAVs have been added, the average net impact is estimated to be −$0.31 per trip, across the metroplex. If HVs were to be replaced by access to SAVs, the impacts are positive, with region-wide average access benefits ranging from $0.16 to $0.33 per trip, depending on the SAV fare, and urban zones have a greater access benefit than rural zones with low SAV fare. Vulnerable populations and their neighborhoods were identified based on the share of persons living below the poverty level, income per capita, share of persons aged 65 years or older, those with disabilities, those owning no vehicle, and share of persons from a racial minority group. Results suggest that the access benefits of SAVs will be higher in locations/neighborhoods housing more vulnerable populations, but some vulnerabilities (e.g., those over age 65) results in lower levels of access improvement. Across those zones with highest shares of vulnerable persons, the range of differences in welfare impacts, from adding SAVs to travelers mode choice sets, widened as fares rose. As is true with many innovations, careful attention to disadvantaged groups and thoughtful policy (via smart contracting and SAV-user subsidies by public agencies, for example) can better ensure valuable access improvements for those with limited mobility and resources.

Exploring the determinants of autonomous minibus adoption: empirical findings from a demand-based service in Germany

“…This may be related to the on-demand characteristic of the EVA Shuttle, which is inherently beneficial for mobility-impaired people as a door-to-door service is possible. Consequently, the research emphasizes the findings of Lee and Kockelman [26] that a particular focus in developing such services must be put on the appropriate access for this group of people. Access relates not only to the physical requirements of the busses and infrastructure but also to the booking process of an on-demand autonomous minibus.…”

“…In contrast, females, elderly, and mobility-impaired people are regarded to use autonomous minibuses less likely [20]. However, several studies present considerable advantages in such a service, especially for vulnerable groups such as mobilityimpaired people, if adequate access to the services is considered [26]. A recent study on Germany's first automated minibus fleet in a regular service could support the latter empirically.…”

Integrating Autonomous Busses as Door-to-Door and First-/Last-Mile Service into Public Transport: Findings from a Stated Choice Experiment

“…Wicki et al carried out a mode choice experiment within the context of a real bus operation in Neuhausen, Switzerland, and found that technology acceptance strongly influences the decision ( 24 ). Lee and Kockelman focused on the vulnerable population within their research and found that vulnerable people can strongly benefit from SAVs when access is guaranteed ( 25 ). Yap et al carried out a stated preference experiment for an autonomous last-mile transport for multimodal train trips and found that AVs could be an alternative for first-class train passengers ( 26 ).…”

Smart Insertion Strategies for Sustainable Operation of Shared Autonomous Vehicles

“…SAVs, a synthesis of TNCs and autonomous vehicles (AVs), promise to improve urban congestion, reduce vehicular emissions, and democratize transportation access [2]. Unlike human-operated vehicles (HOV), SAVs do not require a human driver, which significantly reduces operational costs and enables continuous operation without driver fatigue [3,4]. Therefore, SAVs are anticipated to boost mobility by cutting driver costs and overcoming human drivers' limitations, offering costeffective, convenient, and superior-quality transportation for various trip purposes [5].…”