Shared autonomous vehicles implementation for the first and last-mile services

• Published in: Transportation research interdisciplinary perspectives Vol. 11; p. 100440
• Main Authors: Lau, Suet Theng, Susilawati, Susilawati
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: And last-mile; Kuala Lumpur; Mode choice; Shared autonomous vehicle; The first-mile; And last-mile; Shared autonomous vehicle; Kuala Lumpur; The first-mile; Mode choice
• ISSN: 2590-1982; 2590-1982
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trip.2021.100440

•This study develops a multimodal shared autonomous vehicle (SAV) implementation that couple with public transport (PT) considering the travelers' mode choice preferences.•The effectiveness of SAVs with PT integration in solving PT first-mile and last-mile connectivity problems, improving overall transport network performance and PT ridership, shifting private vehicle mode share to SAVs for FMLM were evaluated.•Results indicate that the implementation of SAVs can increase the local PT usage by 3% and reduce personal vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT) by 6%.•Results show that the passenger trips for SAVs and PT increase with the decrease of SAV’s waiting time.•However, a 20% decrease in the SAV's waiting time increases SAV’s passenger trip and reduce PT ridership significantly. Many studies have been conducted on the feasibility of shared autonomous vehicles to solve the first-mile and last-mile (FMLM) connectivity problem of public transport (PT). Numerous implementation strategies mainly focused on the operational strategies, with little attention being paid to formulate the optimum strategy of SAV coupled with PT. Thus, this research develops a multimodal SAV implementation that couples with PT by considering the travelers' mode choice preferences and evaluating the integration of SAVs with PT in improving overall transport network performance and PT ridership. The simulation of SAVs was conducted on the road network of Kuala Lumpur during the morning peak hour. Results indicated that SAVs' implementation that coupled with PT increased the PT usage by 3% and reduced personal vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT) by 6%, which may potentially solve the FMLM connectivity and reduce traffic congestion. Simulation through modification of SAV's waiting time, the operation cost of a personal vehicle, and riding cost for SAV were also conducted for a more comprehensive analysis. Results showed that when SAV’s passenger waiting time decreases, the passenger trips for SAVs increase, together with passenger trips for PT. However, when an extreme case was considered, that was a 20% decrease in the SAV's waiting time; a massive increase in passenger trips for SAVs with reduced PT ridership was observed. This potentially contributed to traffic congestion. As such, the results signified without proper planning of SAV-PT integration could worsen existing traffic network's performance.