A degree of autonomy W
hat role can automated vehicles play in cities? There are substantial research and develop- ment activities worldwide and claims made
by at least one vehicle manufacturer that autonomous vehicles will be on the roads within the next five years. This begats several rather interesting questions: Firstly, just how feasible is that? Secondly, is this something that cities actually want and are preparing for? Are cities con- sidering where automation can contribute to their vision of their future? And should cities be actively engaging in these developments or should they remain an observe? Cities are striving to reduce the amount of cars that
are increasingly congesting their streets and giving rise to air quality and pollution issues. Replacing driven vehicles with automated vehicles will not solve the problems of congestion and deliver the goal of more liveable cities. In fact, research by the OECD shows that, if anything, the automation of cars could lead to an increase in the number of kilometres travelled. If the increased road capacity that automation is slated
to deliver is not managed sufficiently (and efficiently) cities could be creating a whole range of new problems as the additional space created would need to fit into the existing mix of urban mobility infrastructures already in place. Furthermore, the OECD study also shows that while
highways could benefit the most out of automation, its application at urban and suburban levels would mostly benefit passenger and delivery shuttles, as well as taxis, all of which typically operate at low speeds. Additional challenges arise when cities are con-
fronted with automated vehicle-related conundrums that, while they may appear to be some years away from being addressable, need to be considered now. For example, what might be the impact of automated
functions on vehicle movements and traffic manage- ment? What might be the impact of automation and road safety, particularly on vulnerable road users? There are also a number of infrastructure aspects
that cannot be ignored: Physical aspects, such as road markings, parked
cars and other obstacles require vehicle-to-vehi- cle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications equipment, ground-based units for global naviga- tion systems, dedicated facilities comparable to bus and bicycle lanes, on-street parking restrictions, and
Kevin Borras is editor-in-chief of Thinking Cities
kevin@
h3bm.com
There are a huge number of positive effects that autonomous cities can have on our lives
Karen Vancluysen and Kevin Borras wonder just how autonomous a city needs to be to meet the pressing mobility needs of its citizens
specific roadway or pavement modifications. Digital aspects would include quandaries such as
what data is required from road/traffic authorities and what is actually feasible. There are also questions regarding the maintenance of highly detailed roadway maps and pertinent traffic operations data. Another point worth noting is the change in behav-
iour that will be required by the citizens themselves in terms of simple road rules. Think about the last time you crossed a road in a city – how much information did you take in aurally before crossing? It’s surprising how much your decision to cross a road is influenced by sound: you recognise the sound of a car slowing down or changing down a gear even though you may not be able to see it. This certainly won’t be an instinct you will be able to rely upon when autonomous, elec- tric vehicles start to populate our city streets. There are of course a huge number of positive effects
Karen
Vancluysen is secretary general of Polis
kvancluysen@
polisnetwork.eu
that autonomous cities will have on our lives. We all know the statistics that prove that an enormous percentage of vehicular accidents are caused by human error, so with the human element somewhat removed from the equa- tion it will surely lead to a significant reduction in the number of crashes, and that can only be a good thing. And what about autonomous public transport? One recent tragic event that occurred very close to
H3B Media’s headquarters, the Croydon tram crash that claimed the lives of seven people and resulted in many more seriously injured, appears to have been the result of, if not human error, the lack of human intervention. If the driver fell asleep or blacked out due to a medical condition then the arguments for driver- less public transit systems and services will only be strengthened (Lyon Metro’s Line D and the Docklands Light Railway in London serve as a case in point). In the autonomous vehicle world one of the most
talked-about elements is the level of automation and what is appropriate for trucks and passenger vehicles. This also applies to public transit. The defined levels range from Level 1 (basic driver assistance) to Level 5 (full automation). Human drivers monitor the driving environment in Levels 1 and 2, while for Levels 3-5 the driving environment is monitored by the automated driving system itself. Could these levels of automation be applied to cities as well as vehicles?
1
Foreword
KEVIN BORRAS, THINKING CITIES | KAREN VANCLUYSEN, POLIS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92