Influence of real and video-based experiences on stated acceptance of connected public transportation and autonomous vehicles in a transit mall: A hybrid choice modeling approach

Innovative technologies such as autonomous and connected vehicles can create a better transit mall, a street where only public transit vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians are allowed. However, successful introduction of such technologies depends on user acceptance. To assess the potential acceptance of these technologies in the context of a new transit mall environment, it is crucial to provide an opportunity to experience them before they roll out. This study explores how real and video-based experiences of new technologies can affect public acceptance of new transit mall options in Hiroshima City, Japan, where trams and buses are significant modes of public transportation. We conducted a survey on the stated acceptance of new transit mall options with three groups of respondents: real experience, video-based experience, and no experience groups. The real-experience group self-selected themselves for the experiment, which potentially caused bias. Thus, we used a hybrid choice model with attitudinal variables (ethical, legal, and social concerns regarding emerging technologies, as well as risk-related factors) introduced to control for this bias. We found that both real and video-based experiences improved overall acceptance of new transit mall options, but there were differences in preferences between those who had only videobased experiences and those who had real experiences. We also found that prior knowledge of new transport services and infrastructure had a considerable influence on stated acceptance.