A Simulation Study in Singapore Found That Automated Demand-Responsive Transit Could Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled by Up to 50 Percent Compared to Driverless Shared Taxis.
Simulation Study Considering a 2030 Network of Singapore Explored Mobility Benefits for Automated Demand Responsive Microtransit.
Singapore, Singapore
Evaluating Automated Demand Responsive Transit Using Microsimulation
Summary Information
With the growing development of automated vehicle technologies and the rise of ride-hailing platforms, interest has been steadily building around Automated Mobility-on-Demand (AMOD) such as shared driverless taxis. While AMOD presents promising opportunities for enhancing urban mobility, it also raises concerns about potentially diverting riders from public transit and contributing to increased traffic congestion. As an alternative, automated demand-responsive transit systems commonly referred to as microtransit, offer a more efficient, higher-capacity form of on-demand service. This study evaluated the performance of a microtransit option, referred to as the AMOD minibus, in comparison to AMOD taxis, using agent-based simulations of Singapore’s 2030 transportation network.
METHODOLOGY
In this study, the projected population for 2030 was generated using a statistical method based on land-use data, socio-economic data and other control totals. A 2012 activity-based model was updated with AMOD options, informed by a Singapore-based survey. On the supply side, a routing algorithm assigned and dispatched vehicles in real time. Three scenarios were tested:
- SC0 – Baseline (2030): Current modes only: private car, carpool, taxi, for hire vehicles, and transit.
- SC1 – AMOD Taxi Scenario: SC0 modes + automated single-passenger AMOD taxi.
- SC2 – AMOD Minibus Scenario: SC0 modes + automated shared AMOD minibus.
FINDINGS
- Results showed that AMOD minibus (SC2) could reduce vehicle miles traveled by up to 50 percent compared to driverless shared taxis (SC1).
- Results also showed that the vehicle occupancy values were 1.4 and 5.1 (passengers/vehicle) for the AMOD taxis (SC1) and AMOD minibus (SC2) respectively, indicating a higher extent of ride sharing in SC2.
