Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Self-Driving Cars, or autonomous vehicles, will profoundly affect transportation infrastructure and travel behavior. The onboard automation technologies and the self-driving capability can lower emissions, increase traffic throughput, and create new ways of sharing vehicles. The private sector is pursuing vehicle automation at a fast pace; almost all car manufacturers now have an automation division. The public sector is also seeking sustainable autonomous vehicle-oriented policies that improve social welfare. As large-scale use of autonomous cars is expected in the next 10 years, the characteristics of autonomous vehicles and their inherent potentials call for new theories to understand their impacts, and decision support systems to exploit their benefits. The long-term goal of the proposed research is to develop a framework for autonomous vehicles to assess their impacts, design new mobility services, and provide decision-making support for sustainable policies. The following short-term objectives are the building blocks necessary to achieve the long-term goal: 1)Develop advanced autonomous vehicle traffic flow analysis tools Autonomous vehicles are equipped with advanced communication sensors allowing them to share traffic information and drive more safely and smoothly. Advanced traffic flow models are required as a base for sustainable policies that strategically promote autonomous vehicles. 2)Create and evaluate parking designs for autonomous vehicles Autonomous vehicles can reduce parking footprint. They can freely move in parking lots in driverless mode allowing to fit more vehicles. The proposed research will develop parking infrastructure designs for autonomous vehicles. 3)Design and manage emerging mobility services Autonomous vehicles will substantially contribute to the sharing economy because they can be relocated between multiple users in driverless mode. The proposed research will investigate the design and management of these mobility services by solving complex problems such as optimal vehicle relocation and pooling strategies. 4)Use autonomous vehicles to alleviate social inequities and improve emergency response Autonomous vehicles will provide affordable transportation to access-restricted communities because they do not require a human driver. They also have unprecedented potential in emergency situations such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. New policies and management operations can reduce social inequities and improve emergency response using autonomous vehicles. This research program will train HQP to promote analytical, technical, and communications skills. The outputs will aid Canadian governing agencies to prepare for autonomous vehicles by making informed decisions about the transportation infrastructure and ideal incentive programs. It will also provide decision-making tools for the private sector in design and management of emerging mobility services.