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Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: Implications for Policy and Practice in City and Transportation Planning

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Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: Implications for Policy and Practice in City and Transportation Planning Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: Implications for Policy and Practice in City and Transportation Planning by Charles Ng supervised by Laura Taylor A Major Paper submitted to the Faculty of Environmental Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Environmental Studies York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada December 8, 2017 Acknowledgments This paper could not have been completed without the help and support of the caring individuals that I am thankful to have in my life. I would like to thank and acknowledge my mother, Maria, and my sister, Ka Lang for providing me with love and support; my advisor, Peter Timmerman, and my supervisor, Laura Taylor, for providing me with academic and non-academic support; and my invaluable friends that I have made in the MES program for their encouragement, support and relief. i Foreword My Area of Concentration for my Plan of Study is sustainable transportation planning for growth management. Connected and Autonomous Vehicles will change the urban landscape, the roles of governments and present new challenges to planners. This paper has allowed me to view transportation planning through the lens of emerging technologies and how this affects cities in the short and long term. There are many sustainability and growth management implications with Connected and Autonomous Vehicles. For example, automated vehicles can foster decentralization because it easily enables travel however, if utilized correctly, automated vehicles can also compliment local transit systems to support intensification. This is especially important in Ontario (Canada’s first province to allow testing of autonomous vehicles on public roads) as it directly relates to the goals and policies related to sprawl and sustainability as outlined in Ontario’s four provincial land use plans: The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH), The Greenbelt Plan, The Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and the Niagara Escarpment Plan. My Plan of Study views transportation planning for sustainability and growth management as a system of interconnected components that are environmental studies, social studies and economics. These components have been explored in this paper in relation to Connected and Autonomous Vehicles. The economic impact of transportation technologies throughout history, as well as people’s travel patterns and behavior are discussed. Although Connected and Autonomous Vehicles are still new and its impact is fairly unknown, my research and exploration revealed economic, social and political trends that coincide with what my Plan of Study seeks to fulfill. Lastly, this paper has allowed me to weave practice and academia together into a single project. Although nothing was exactly proven in this paper, this paper links academia with practice to engage in discussions pertaining to the impact of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles on cities, society and governments, in terms of possible outcomes and suggestions. ii Table of Contents Cover Page Acknowledgements ...............................................................................................................i Foreword ............................................................................................................................. ii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... iii List of Abbreviations .......................................................................................................... v List of Tables and Figures................................................................................................. vii Abstract ............................................................................................................................ viii 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Objective of the Paper ........................................................................................ 1 1.2 Relevance and Importance ................................................................................. 2 2. Research Method and Framework ................................................................................... 2 2.1 Theoretical Framework ...................................................................................... 2 2.2 Research Design and Methodology ................................................................... 3 3. Autonomous Vehicles Background ................................................................................. 5 3.1 Overview of the History of Autonomous Vehicles............................................ 5 3.2 Expectations for Autonomous Vehicles in the Near Future .............................. 8 4. The Social, Economic and Political Impact of Transportation Technologies on Cities .. 9 5. The Promises and Benefits of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles ........................... 15 5.1 The Promises of Autonomous Vehicles ........................................................... 15 5.1.1 Improved Roadside Safety ................................................................ 15 5.1.2 More Efficient Transportation Systems ............................................ 17 5.2 The Benefits of Autonomous Vehicles ............................................................ 19 5.2.1 Reclamation of Urban Space ............................................................ 19 5.2.2 Enhancing Existing Transportation Systems .................................... 20 5.2.3 Improved Fuel Efficiency ................................................................. 25 5.2.4 Servicing People that are Unable to Drive ........................................ 25 5.3 What Remains to Explore ................................................................................ 28 5.3.1 The Effect of CAVs on Future Travel Patterns and Behaviour ........ 29 5.3.2 Data Ownership, Access, Security and Privacy ................................ 35 5.3.3 Partnerships Needed.......................................................................... 38 6. The Current Status in Ontario with Connected and Autonomous Vehicles .................. 42 6.1 Legal and Policy .............................................................................................. 42 6.2 Cooperation and Coordination between the Automotive Industry and Municipalities .................................................................................................. 44 6.3 Current Tests and Initiatives in Ontario ........................................................... 47 7. The Challenges that Ontario will need to Overcome ..................................................... 53 7.1 Infrastructure .................................................................................................... 53 7.2 Legal and Policy .............................................................................................. 54 7.3 Auto Insurance ................................................................................................. 55 7.4 Transparency, Coordination and Cooperation ................................................. 56 7.5 Social Equity .................................................................................................... 56 iii 7.6 Maximizing the Benefits and Potential of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles............................................................................................................ 57 8. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 58 8.1 Recommendations for Municipal Governments .............................................. 58 8.2 Recommendations for Provincial Governments .............................................. 58 Bibliography ...................................................................................................................... 60 iv List of Abbreviations ACC Adaptive Cruise Control AHOP Assisted Home Ownership Program AI Artificial Intelligence ALV Autonomous Land Vehicle ATG Advanced Technologies Group AV Autonomous Vehicle AVIC Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Centre AVIN Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network BRT Bus Rapid Transit CAV Connected and Autonomous Vehicle CBA Canadian Bar Association CMA Census Metropolitan Area CMHC Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation CSD Canadian Survey on Disability CV Connected Vehicle CVAV Connected Vehicle/Automated Vehicle [program] DARPA Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DGC DARPA Grand Challenge DSRC Dedicated Short-Range Communication ECAV Electric Connected and Autonomous Vehicle EHG Erwin Hymer Group FMLM First Mile and Last Mile ICT Internet Communication Technologies IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers IFAC International Federation of Automatic Control GGH Greater Golden Horseshoe GPS Global Positioning System HOV High Occupancy Vehicle [lane] HRT Helsinki Transport Authority IOT Internet of Things ITS Intelligent Transportation Systems LIDAR Light Detection and Ranging LRT Light Rail Transit MaaS Mobility as a Service (same as “TaaS”) MACAVO Municipal Alliance for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles in Ontario MANET Mobile ad-hoc- Network MCDM Multi-Criteria Decision Making [approach] MTO Ministry of Transportation Ontario NHTSA [US] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration OBU On-Board Unit OCE Ontario Centres of Excellence OGRA Ontario Good Roads Association OP Official
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