A synthesis and comparison of American automated shuttle pilot projects

Abstract

Automated shuttles are an emerging mode of transportation in many American cities, but it is not yet well understood where they should be deployed. Therefore, the study aims to synthesize the state of the practice of automated shuttle pilot projects to identify patterns of shuttle deployments in the United States. The case study approach is used as the method. Nineteen ongoing or completed automated shuttle pilot projects are initially identified. Among them, automated shuttle projects in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Arlington, Texas; San Ramon, California; Denver, Colorado; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Minneapolis, Minnesota are chosen to study in detail to identify patterns. The key findings are used to develop a synthesis of the state of the practice, which is formulated along three dimensions: deployment locations, service characteristics, and stakeholders. The dimensions suggest that university campuses, stadiums, office parks, transit stations, entertainment areas, and downtowns are well-suited locations for automated shuttle operations. Common service characteristics are low speeds (10–15 mph), vehicle capacities of 6–12 passengers, short routes (less than a mile) with few stops, and free fares. Stakeholders are divided into four groups: public organizations, partner organizations, shuttle manufacturers, and private operators. Deployment locations influence the types of service characteristics and stakeholder combinations of each deployment project. These findings will assist cities that are considering future deployments of automated shuttles in their locality.