Examining the Competition Between Autonomous Vehicles and Public Transit
Recent rapid advancements in autonomous car technology have changed global transportation infrastructure and consumer behavior. As the number of autonomous cars increases across the globe, a rise in shared self-governing mobility on demand (AMoD) services is likely to follow. The issue of whether AMoD would coexist with or pose a threat to the public transportation system remains unanswered. Public transit, a crucial part of urban transport, is going to be affected by the impending influx of AMoD.
The first-mile movement market from origins to subway stations in Tampines, Singapore, was studied by researchers from the Future Urban Mobility (FM) interdisciplinary research team at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, and MIT.
The first study of its kind examined the rivalry between autonomous vehicles (AMoD) and public transportation using game theory in a paper titled “Competition between Shared Autonomous Vehicles and Public Transit: A Case Study in Singapore” that was published in Transport Research Study Part C: Arising Technology.
Since both AMoD and public transit drivers are profit-driven and employ dynamically flexible supply strategies, the research was simulated and looked at from a competitive angle. The rivalry process and system effectiveness were examined through the use of an agent-based simulation from the perspectives of four stakeholders: the AMoD operator, the public transit operator, users, and the transportation authority.
The goal of the research, according to Jinhua Zhao, lead investigator for SMART FM and associate professor in the MIT Division of Urban Research and Planning and the corresponding author, is to envision cities of the future and determine precisely how competition between AMoD and public transit will affect the development of transportation systems. According to Jinhua Zhao’s research, competition between AMoD and public transportation can be advantageous, increase profits and system effectiveness for both operators when compared to the status quo, and benefit both the general public and the transportation authorities.
However, the effect of competition on passengers is unpredictable, and officials may be required to provide assistance for those who experience increased travel costs or longer journey times due to discounts or other feeder modes.
According to the study, the rivalry between AMoD and public transportation would undoubtedly force bus companies to reduce the frequency of inefficient routes, allowing AMoDs to fill in any service coverage gaps. Although the overall bus supply was reduced, the shift was not consistent, according to the paper’s first author and MIT Ph.D. candidate Baichuan Mo. The team discovered that public transit options will be spatially concentrated on much shorter routes that feed directly to the train terminal and temporally concentrated to peak hours, according to Baichuan Mo. In general, this reduces the amount of time that visitors spend commuting, but it raises the cost of travel. Incorporating the value of leisure, however, lowers the overall cost of travel.
The investigation also discovered that supporting public transportation would increase its supply, profit, and market share relative to AMoD and increase passenger generalized travel costs and total system passenger automobile equivalent, which are determined by the typical vehicle load and the distance traveled by a vehicle.
The results indicate that in order to increase effectiveness, public transportation must be given the ability to optimize its supply techniques under particular operation objectives and constraints. However, AMoD practices must be regulated to reduce negative system influences, including restricting the number of licenses, the hours of operation, and the service areas. This will enable AMoD to operate in a way that better complements the public transit system.
The team’s research, according to Hongmou Zhang Ph.D. ’19, a doctoral graduate of the Department of Urban Studies and Preparation at MIT and currently an assistant professor at the College of Government at Peking University, shows that an AMoD-[public transport] incorporated transport system can properly co-exist and match each other, benefiting all four stakeholders. The research team’s results, according to Hongmou Zhang, will aid business leaders, decision-makers, and government agencies in creating plans and new regulations that will ensure residents’ social welfare while also maximizing the effectiveness and sustainability of transportation systems.
The study is important for the development of the mobility sector and the relevant federal government agencies because it provides insight into potential changes and risks to urban transportation systems brought on by the rise of autonomous vehicles and AMoD. It also acts as a guide for future policy and regulatory designs for an AMoD, public transportation integrated transportation system. The uneven social costs, such as increased transport costs or travel time, must be taken into consideration by policymakers, who should support and help vulnerable groups by providing discounts or other benefits.
The National study Study Foundation’s (NRF) Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) program supports the study, which is conducted by SMART.
The next generation of metropolitan flexibility systems is being developed by FM using cutting-edge institutional and technical technologies in order to improve accessibility, equity, safety, and ecological efficiency for Singaporeans and other city dwellers around the globe. The NRF supports SMART-FM, which is housed in CREATE.
In order to conduct cutting-edge research of interest to both organizations, MIT and the NRF created SMART in 2007. Wise currently comprises of an Innovation Center and five interdisciplinary research study teams: Low Energy Electronic Systems, Disruptive and Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision, FM, and Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine.
Read the original article on: MIT News.
