Autonomous Vehicles: Rethinking Traffic Congestion Solutions in Cities

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) will be the next technological leap for urban mobility. The question for decision makers and city leaders is whether they contribute to achieving progressive social, environmental, and economic targets or achieve the opposite. AVs offer benefits such as safety, convenience, and enhanced mobility for the young, the elderly, and the disabled. However, AVs themselves will not relieve traffic congestion and in fact could exacerbate traffic and increase vehicle miles traveled (VMT) unless clear regulations and policies are adopted to manage their use. In this paper, we outline the four transport planning tools that are used to relieve traffic congestion: (۱) land use measures, (۲) transportation demand management, (۳) transportation system management, and (۴) road widening/new roads. We address how AVs will complement or disrupt the effective use of these tools and conclude that the tools must be overhauled with the advent of automated mobility. Policy recommendations are provided for each tool. In addition, we briefly discuss the new safety challenges posed by integrating AVs into traffic.

Keywords:

Autonomous Vehicles , Transportation Demand Management , Transportation System Management , Sprawl