The age of automation

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Cities across the nation, including Phoenix, Boston, and San Francisco, have already begun allowing transportation network companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft, to test out new autonomous vehicle (AV) technology. However, after the March 18 Uber crash, which resulted in the death of a woman, many cities put a halt to the testing.


Despite this incident, cities have not terminated their plans to introduce self-driving vehicles onto their streets. Some cities, including Boston, MA, are gradually introducing AVs, starting with small driverless zones. Philadelphia, PA, has established a rigorous testing process. AVs must meet important standards, such as emergency braking and basic driving capabilities before the vehicles are released to the streets (Krauss, 2018). Many cities are still excited about the potential benefits of AVs. The Boston municipal government argues that the introduction of AVs could lead to improved accessibility for people living with the aging population and those living visual impairments, better reliability, and safer streets (City of Boston, 2018). Transportation research institutes are also optimistic about what AVs can achieve. According to a study conducted by the Eno Centre for Transportation, 90% of crashes are a result of human error (Thompson, 2016). Therefore, the introduction of AVs could significantly reduce crashes and traffic-related deaths. RAND researchers argue that policy-makers need to embrace AVs as soon as possible so that crashes can be reduced (Bauman, 2017). Transportation researchers are still promoting AVs, although the technology is not perfect.

Figure 1. AV Smart Car graphic
Source: Telecoms.com

Although many cities appear to be embracing AVs, some practical issues, such as the storage of AVs, have not been addressed. Once autonomous TNC vehicles have been fully established in cities, storage facilities, within the city or on the outskirts of the city, will have to be determined. Of course, selecting a storage facility within the city would be ideal because it would reduce VMT for the vehicles and subsequently, the number  of carbon emissions. However, many high-density cities, such as New York City, do not have vacant large tracts of land within the city limits at their disposal. As a result of this shift in technology, large tracts of land in industrial areas of cities could substantially increase in value. In Seattle, the most probable candidate for AV storage would be the area near Boeing airfield in South Seattle. TNCs may have to act quickly in order to secure land in cities that they can use for AV storage.

Figure 2. Boeing Airfield, Seattle

Source: Airport Journals
REFERENCES

 Bauman, M. (2017, November 7). Why Waiting for the Perfect Autonomous Vehicles May Cost Lives. Retrieved from https://www.rand.org/blog/articles/2017/11/why-waiting-for-perfect-autonomous-vehicles-may-cost-lives.html

Bliss, L. (2018, March 19). The First Pedestrian Has Been Killed by a Self-Driving Car. Now What? Retrieved from https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2018/03/first-pedestrian-killed-by-a-self-driving-car-uber/555956/

City of Boston. (2018, August 27). Autonomous vehicles: Boston’s approach. Retrieved from https://www.boston.gov/departments/new-urban-mechanics/autonomous-vehicles-bostons-approach

 Dumbaugh, E., & Rae, R. (2009). Safe urban form: revisiting the relationship between community design and traffic safety. Journal of the American Planning Association, 75(3), 309-329.

 Krauss, M. J. (2018, April 9). PennDOT announces new regulations for testing self-driving vehicles. Retrieved from https://whyy.org/articles/penndot-announces-new-regulations-for-testing-self-driving-vehicles/

Thompson, C. (2016, June 10). The 3 biggest ways self-driving cars will improve our lives. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/advantages-of-driverless-cars-2016-6#roads-will-be-safer-1

Written by: Sophie Appell

Edited by: Anthony Tortorici and Sofia Alvarez-Castro

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 23, 2018 at 5:00 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. UnknownOctober 23, 2018 at 5:02 PM

      It is true that interest in self-driving cars is spreading around the world. However, as can be seen from the Uber accident and the previous Google Autonomous Vehicle accident, there still seem to be difficulties in commercializing it.
      It is also necessary to identify whether the responsibility should be imposed by the driver, the vehicle manufacturer or the insurance company in the event of an accident. There is also a transitional period before the current vehicle converts into 100% autonomous vehicle.
      I think that it is expected that the most significant number of accidents will occur when autonomous vehicles and regular vehicles coexist, and the introduction rate of the autonomous vehicle will require a change in road capacity.
      However, the benefits of autonomous vehicles are enormous. It will make people more productive, give mobility-constrained people a fair chance, and reduce the stress of traffic congestion. I think continuous research and thorough analysis are necessary because it is a means to bring tremendous benefits to our lives.

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    2. AnonymousOctober 28, 2018 at 5:02 PM

      Hi Minju,

      You are right, there will definitely be a transitional period before all drivers convert to 100% autonomous vehicles. Autonomous vehicles are extremely expensive right now, so I predict that TNCs will be the primary buyers for a while. It makes me nervous that the most significant number of accidents will occur when AV and regular vehicles coexist. I hope the transition will be smoother than we expect!

      Delete
  2. AnonymousOctober 23, 2018 at 7:47 PM

    Big changes are frightening. The idea of robots driving amongst people in the city is kind of crazy, but one incident of an AV killing a woman is nothing compared to humans driving into people on a daily basis. The technology will get better very fast, but humans won't get any better at driving. I wonder who would win in a competition for who can kill less people on the street- 1 million people vs. 1 million robots over the course of a year, driving 20 miles a day? I bet that even at this beta phase of AV's on streets, the robots would win.
    As far as storage for AV's- I don't see why this is a different concern than more human operated cars. The benefit of AV cars is they will be much better at parking than humans, so that should free up quite a bit of space. If the AV's are not personal/private cars but a fleet of public cars, than there could be parking lots where they are packed in like sardines, and rather than each car having a chance to exit the mass, only the ones on the edge would need to have a clear path out. The cars in the center could be completely parked in and it wouldn't be a problem because if a rider needed a vehicle they could just get one that is conveniently located on the outer edge of the car park.
    Min Ju Kim- Many good points you made, like who's at fault in the event of an accident?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousOctober 28, 2018 at 5:05 PM

      I think that the storage issue is mainly a concern for TNCs. Since the majority of drivers for regular vehicles use there own cars, no additional vehicles have to be purchased. AVs will not belong to any one person, so they will most likely have to be stored in areas that are not regular parking lots.

      Delete
  3. Jensen PerrickOctober 27, 2018 at 2:33 PM

    AVs are an exciting technology that would truly transform travel opportunities for the elderly and disabled communities. Yes, the technology is not perfect and as demonstrated by the Uber crash, there are clear dangers and risks to its use. However, automated vehicles will prove useful to populations consistently underserved by public transit options.

    In regards to storage options, this should be at the forefront of AV conversations. Cities already face a shortage of parking and not all cities have an airfield like Seattle. Congestion shows no indication of slowing down in urban areas and innovative solutions will surely be needed as AV technology continues to evolve.

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