Browsing by Subject "urban transportation"

Urban population growth imposes a challenging task on urban transportation systems. Traditional car-centric development has already left its mark on cities with increased travel time, congestion, air pollution and road accidents. However, modern developments in electrification and the automation of public transport can play an important role in shifting to sustainable travel modes. Introducing automated shuttle buses could revolutionise current transportation systems in this context. These buses could act as feeders and connectors to high-speed public transport, allowing energy-efficient operation. Nevertheless, the automated shuttle bus is a novel solution, and there are still gaps in our understanding of its integration with public transport services. This thesis aims to fill the identified gaps by assessing the effects of a connected and automated shuttle bus travelling on a lane shared with a tram and investigating traffic management interventions. The study area is in Hervanta, Tampere. The primary method was conducting traffic simulations with the microsimulation tool PTV Vissim. Multimodal traffic data was analysed and incorporated into the simulation to investigate the impacts of an automated shuttle in a real urban setting. Additionally, the effects of two traffic management interventions, tram warning and Green Light Optimized Speed Advisory (GLOSA), used by the shuttle bus were assessed. Scenario-based analysis showed that a slow-moving automated shuttle bus in a shared lane with a tram increases the tram’s travel time. A tram warning application in the shuttle bus ensures unimpeded flow of the tram and reduces its travel time. However, it increases the travel time of the shuttle, which has to wait at a bus stop while the tram operates in the shared lane. By contrast, the GLOSA system does not significantly alter traffic performance if only the shuttle receives a speed suggestion at the intersection. In summary, automated shuttle buses could improve urban transportation challenges through last-mile mobility solutions, while advanced traffic warning services would make them complementary to the public transport system. Nevertheless, as shuttles are in the early stage of integration into public transport, further research is needed to ensure a successful transition to connected, intermodal and shared transport.