Preparing for Automated Roadway Technology Impacts on Guideway Transit

The paper discusses a vision for how the parallel development paths of automated roadway vehicle (AV) and connected roadway vehicle (CV) technologies, and automated guideway transit technology will evolve into a demand-responsive, fully autonomous transit service. The paper provides insight into the initial applications of AV/CV technology to transit service, primarily within semi-protected transitways and controlled environments such as campus settings and high occupancy vehicle (HOV)/managed lanes. Long term implications for fixed facilities and system operations are discussed. Overall long term considerations of aerial and at-grade transitway design, station site and facilities configurations, and maintenance facility layouts are conceptually assessed. Operating concepts for transit systems of automated and connected, driverless roadway transit vehicles are discussed, as well as the necessity of advanced simulations necessary to analyze the complex operations.