Future automated shuttle deployments should incorporate route design features such as dedicated lanes and simplified operating environments to reduce disengagements, improve reliability, and enhance rider experience.
North Carolina’s statewide CASSI AV pilot program tested low-speed automated shuttles to assess real-world transit performance and deployment challenges.
Statewide, North Carolina, United States
Connected Autonomous Shuttle Supporting Innovation (CASSI) Program Development
Summary Information
NCDOT envisions a transportation system in the state where shared mobility options are convenient, reliable, affordable, clean, safe, and accessible to all. A large part of NCDOT’s mission is to prepare North Carolina for the future of transportation by researching, piloting, and evaluating emerging mobility options that help eliminate transportation barriers, ensure equal access to opportunities for all, and make the state a trailblazer in transportation. NCDOT is exploring how the use of automated vehicles can help achieve its vision through the IMD-led Connected Autonomous Shuttle Supporting Innovation (CASSI) program.
The CASSI program has partnered with communities across the state to test and evaluate automated vehicles in pilots that provide free shared rides to the public. The pilots that were completed under the CASSI program from 2020 through 20203 have demonstrated all-electric, low-speed automated shuttles that are not Buy America or Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant, need an exemption from Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) to operate on public roads and accept passengers, and require an onboard attendant.
Some key best practices and lesson learned are presented below.
Technology Readiness
- The automated shuttle technology is not mature and is not ready to be mainstreamed or scaled —the technology is still under development and full driving automation under all conditions is not here yet
- The automated shuttles are not designed to be fully autonomous and require an onboard attendant to ensure correct and safe movement of vehicles and interaction with the environment
Operational Performance and Accessibility
- While the automated shuttles have advertised maximum speeds ranging from 15 to 25 mph, their practical operating speed is 12 mph since the shuttles are programmed to stop suddenly when they detect a safety risk
- The automated shuttles were unable to autonomously navigate around obstacles in its path-the attendant must manually operate the shuttle until the path is clear and conditions are appropriate to proceed in autonomous mode
- Service interruptions occurred often and commonly resulted from technology issues, battery insufficiency, and inclement weather
- Not all automated shuttles included automated accessibility features
Access to Existing Mobility Options
- Ridership was generally higher at locations with no existing transit or shared mobility options
- Existing transit and shared mobility options were available along the same route as the automated shuttle for one project—UNC Charlotte —and the project’s findings suggest that there was no time or connectivity benefit to using the automated shuttle over other options on campus
- Where existing transit and shared mobility options were not available along the same route as the automated shuttle, new trips appeared to result from the introduction of the shuttle and some personal vehicle trips were replaced by the shuttle during pilot periods
Public Engagement
- Engaging the public and including their feedback in evaluations is important to inform the future development of emerging technologies to better meet transportation needs
Overall, CASSI demonstrated the potential of automated shuttles to expand mobility access. However, pilot results strongly suggest that future deployments should prioritize simplified, dedicated, or controlled operating environments, and leverage route mapping and commissioning tools to reduce disengagements, improve performance, and deliver a better rider experience.
