Simulation Study on First-Mile Fully Automated Minibuses in Järveküla Estimated 19 Percent Reduction in Travel Time.
Simulation Study Proposing a Personalized Travel Model for a Suburban City in Estonia Found Potential Mobility Benefits.
Järveküla
A Predictive Compact Model of Effective Travel Time Considering the Implementation of First-Mile Autonomous Mini-Buses in Smart Suburbs
Summary Information
Flexible order-based service with fully Automated Vehicles (AV) offers a great potential for improving mobility in suburban areas in specific. This study proposed a compact distance-based spatial model with five residential origin zones and six destination districts to estimate the Effective Daily Travel Time (EDTT) of an average resident of a suburban area Järveküla, Estonia, considering the availability of automated first-mile minibuses.
METHODOLOGY
The model estimated typical travel times throughout the day using patterns from morning outbound trips, such as commutes to work or school. To simplify the analysis, the researchers developed a three-parameter sub-model of the distribution of distances, based on real-world mobility data. EDTTs, were then calculated for various distances and transportation modes using the typical speeds of each mode. Where applicable, the model also included additional psychological factors like perceived stress and financial burden, to better reflect how people experience their trips. A sub-model of switching from five traditional transport modes to two AV-assisted modes was also defined by an aggregated AV acceptance parameter based on resident surveys.
FINDINGS
- The results of this study showed an estimated 19 percent reduction in travel time when using first-mile automated minibuses after accounting for psychological effects.
