AVs will increase traffic in overcrowded downtown areas, says study

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) will reduce the number of cars and overall travel times in cities but potentially worsen conditions in downtown areas, says the World Economic Forum. The findings come from a study conducted alongside the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Called Reshaping Urban Mobility with Autonomous Vehicles: Lessons from the City of Boston, the partnership recommends city and state governments encourage higher sharing of AVs - and avoid significantly moving away from mass transit systems. A
July 10, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) will reduce the number of cars and overall travel times in cities but potentially worsen conditions in downtown areas, says the World Economic Forum. The findings come from a study conducted alongside the 4055 Boston Consulting Group (BCG).


Called Reshaping Urban Mobility with Autonomous Vehicles: Lessons from the City of Boston, the partnership recommends city and state governments encourage higher sharing of AVs - and avoid significantly moving away from mass transit systems.

A traffic simulation model of the city found neighbourhoods outside of the downtown core would see an improvement in traffic and travel times. In addition, a shift to autonomous mobility would reduce the number of parking spaces required in Boston by 48%.

Meanwhile, an analysis predicts a move to mobility-on-demand in AVs (such as robo-shuttles) and current taxi and ride-sharing services – which currently make up 30% of all trips in the greater Boston area.

Nikolaus Lang, senior partner at BCG and co-author of the study, says travellers are likely to choose low-capacity autonomous taxis and shuttles for trips lower than four miles, rather than taking buses or trains.

"This, in turn, would increase the number of cars on the road and average travel time by 5.5% in Boston’s downtown neighbourhood," Lang adds.

Travel time could be improved by 15% through the introduction of occupancy-based pricing schemes to discourage riding alone, says the research.

Additionally, converting on-street parking to dedicated pick-up and drop-off areas, surface mass transit or driving lanes could decrease travel time by 10%. Similarly, designation of dedicated lanes for shared AVs has the potential to reduce travel time by 8%.

A full copy of the report is available %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external here false http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Reshaping_Urban_Mobility_with_Autonomous_Vehicles_2018.pdf false false%>.

Urban Traffic Control

Related Content

  • ASTC to operate e-bus service in India
    June 28, 2019
    The Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) is to deploy 15 electric buses in Guwahati, a city in north-east India. The project is part of the Indian government’s FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) scheme. A report by Business Standard says each bus will carry up to 31 passengers along a 6.4km route between the neighbourhoods of Kachari and Kamakhya. ASTC will operate a second service along a 38km route from the Inter State Bus Terminal while also running another service in
    Read More
  • European Transport Conference 2017 - call for papers
    December 22, 2016
    The European Transport Conference (ETC), which takes place 4-6 October 2017 in Barcelona, is inviting abstracts for papers on: Resilience of cities - security, safety and the effects of weather; Equity in transport; Disruptive technologies; Mobility as a Service; How to get from innovative ideas to implementation in the real world - lessons to be learnt from innovation Contributors are particularly encouraged to offer abstracts under heading including: Modelling the above; Skills and resourc
    Read More
  • ITS America declare Detroit as success
    October 24, 2014
    ITS America, organisers of the 2014 ITS World Congress in Detroit, has declared the event a great success with more than 9,100 participants, 700 papers and 300 exhibiters plus the most extensive set of demonstrations ever staged. The introduction of Chief Technology Officer sessions was considered a big success attracting almost 800 attendees.
    Read More
  • CILT urges policy review for London Mayor’s transport strategy
    October 4, 2017
    The Mayor of London’s Draft Transport Strategy (DMTS) lacks realism and risks unintended consequences, according to a report from the Charted Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT). Proposals on bus priority require a fundamental review as speeds on a third of London’s bus routes have fallen more than 5% in the past year, including a reallocation of road space, construction works (with resulting congestion) and an increase in the volume of private hire and van traffic. CILT calls for bus corridors
    Read More

Highlighted Content