Operational Model and Impacts of Mobility Service Based on Autonomous Vehicles

Emerging infocommunication and vehicle technologies, especially autonomous vehicles (AVs), imply a significant alteration in urban mobility. Shared, mostly demand-driven mobility services based on small-capacity AVs emerge. The research questions are, how to operate this new transportation system, and what impacts it has. We apply system and process-oriented analytical modeling method. Firstly, the alteration in urban transportation modes is revealed. Then, the mobility service types are identified and characterized. In order to facilitate their integration into the passenger transportation system, the structural model has been developed. The functions and the interrelations between the functions have been revealed to model the operation. Real-time data about current demand, vehicle location, and status significantly affects the operation. Finally, the impacts of this novel mobility service are estimated. The impacts concern the entire transportation system (e.g. shifting in modal share), environmental load, management of traffic and infrastructure as well as passenger habit. The quantitative correspondences are assessed by questionnaire survey applying stated preferences. The calculation method of modal shift has been elaborated. The results can be used as a base to organize and operate the mobility service