Keeping Vehicle Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Check in a Driverless Vehicle World

Abstract

INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION STUDIES Policy Brief In November 2016, the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis (ITS- Davis) convened leading academic, government, private industry, and public interest stakeholders to explore science-based policies that could steer the three transportation revolutions- shared mobility, electrification, and autonomous vehicles, toward the public interest. This policy brief reflects the opinions of the authors and not UC Davis. This brief is one in a series that presents a range of policy concepts, recommendations and research needs discussed at the 3 Revolutions Conference. Contact: Mollie D’Agostino mdagostino@ucdavis.edu with additional questions. Visit: 3rev.ucdavis.edu for additional policy briefs, event alerts, and news. April 2017 Keeping Vehicle Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Check in a Driverless Vehicle World Co-Authors: Giovanni Circella, University of California at Davis Chris Ganson, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research* Caroline Rodier, University of California at Davis *For identification purposes only Summary of Policy Recommendations To support VMT and GHG containment goals: 1. Deploy driverless vehicles as shared use vehicles, rather than privately owned 2. Ensure widespread carpooling 3. Deploy driverless vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions 4. Take advantage of opportunities to introduce pricing 5. Increase line haul transit use rather than replacing it 6. Ensure driverless vehicles are not larger or more energy consumptive 7. Program vehicle behavior to improve livability, safety and comfort on surface streets Introduction Driverless vehicles are likely to profoundly affect transportation patterns and ultimately reshape cities. Their deployment creates substantial risk to vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas (GHG) containment, but also substantial opportunity. Driverless technology could be deployed along very divergent pathways, and at this early stage, policy has the opportunity to affect which path is taken. Because California is at the INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION STUDIES Project ID 2017-07