Changes in traffic infrastructure with the arrival of autonomous vehicles

Abstract

Autonomous vehicles represent a significant step forward in traffic safety and efficiency. Although it will be quite some time before all vehicles on public roads are autonomous, it is certainly advisable to consider the changes that will need to be introduced to traffic and traffic infrastructure. Autonomous vehicles will significantly increase the efficiency and use of public transportation and car-sharing, which will ultimately mean fewer cars on the roads and less need for parking in urban areas, or their conversion into a type of waiting area. Also, fewer vehicles, whose software has a drastically faster reaction time and much better control of the vehicle, will also mean less traffic jams, greater intersection flow, less need to channel traffic in traffic lanes and will remove traffic lights almost entirely out of use. This paper will look at the form of transport infrastructure and its variants in the case of mixed traffic with autonomous vehicles and drivers, as well as the situation with fully autonomous traffic without people behind the wheel.