Opportunities for Trackless Tram in Sydney Isaac Besarra, Tess Hewitt, Adli Roslin, Anthony Tsang, Kenneth Wu, Ankith Anil Das Jacaranda Flame Consulting Requested by and Submitted to Ai Jen Lim Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) 6th August 2021 Disclaimer This report was prepared by consultants at Jacaranda Flame Consulting for Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) and describes opportunities and concept design of trackless tram on Parramatta Road. The opinions, conclusions and recommendations presented herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The University of Sydney or any of the sponsoring parties to this project. Acknowledgement of Country We acknowledge the tradition of custodianship and law of the Country on which the University of Sydney campuses stand. We pay our respects to those who have cared and continue to care for Country. i Acronyms/Abbreviations Definitions APS Aesthetic Power Supply ART Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit AS/NZS Australian Standards/New Zealand Standards AUD Australian Dollar AV Autonomous Vehicle BAH Booz Allen Hamilton BRT Bus Rapid Transit CBA Cost Benefit Analysis CBD Central Business District DSLR Digital Single-Lens Reflex EV Electric Vehicle FIC Finance & Investment Committee FMCW Frequency Modulation Continuous Wave FoV Field of View GETS Guided Electric Transit Systems GHD Gutteridge Haskins and Davey GLT Guided Light Transit GPS Global Positioning System IEC International Electrotechnical Commission IMU Inertial Measurement Unit IR Infrared ii ITDP Institute of Transportation & Development Policy LED Light Emitting Diode LiDAR Light Detection and Ranging Li-On Lithium-Ion LPT Liverpool-Parramatta T-way LRT Light Rail Transit LTO Lithium Titanate Oxide MEMS Micro-Electro-Mechanical System NWT North-West T-way PCB Printed Circuit Board RADAR Radio Detection and Ranging RGB Red Green Blue RGB-D Red Green Blue - Depth RMS Roads & Maritime Services SBEnrc Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre ToF Time of Flight TropiQ Townsville Tropical Intelligence & Health Precinct USD United States Dollar iii Executive Summary This project aims to explore the feasibility of introducing trackless trams between Central and Leichhardt along Parramatta Road. This report will investigate the suitability of implementing these systems in Australia through understanding the technology available and conducting a cost-benefit analysis, as well as providing recommendations and preliminary concept designs. The literature review starts by exploring trackless tram technologies. It was found to be a combination of bus and light-rail technology with additional automated features. From this, a review of automation technology was performed to understand various types of sensors used in autonomous vehicles. Case studies were also researched to provide a greater understanding of existing trackless trams. It was found that the Hunan, China trackless tram was a successful implementation of the mode of transport. Then, research was conducted to understand the current opportunities within Australia for the trackless tram, having a stronger focus on the current modes of public transport used on Parramatta Road. Finally, a site context study of Parramatta Road from Leichhardt to Central was researched to understand the landscape and topography to ensure feasibility of deploying trackless trams along this route. The technology available for the trackless tram was broken up into three sections, the exterior/body, the underside and the power source. The body should be similar to a bus, using aluminium or plastic materials. The underside of the trackless tram should match a rail system bogie. The main power source for consideration should be electrical using either a lithium titanate battery or in future, hydrogen fuel cells. For the analysis, the trackless tram was compared against both bus and light-rail systems. The cost was broken up into acquisition costs, construction costs and operating costs. The benefits of each mode of transport was also weighed, considering factors such as carbon footprint and safety. It was finally determined that a trackless tram was the most suitable mode of transport. Automation was also considered with fully automation being the cheapest in the long term. However, due to potential societal concerns and uncertainty of the technology, it is recommended to deploy a semi-autonomous trackless tram The final concept design is broken down into 3 sections. Section 1 (between Petersham Park and Missenden Road) and Section 3 (between Victoria Park and Central Station) have the same design, focusing on lane configuration and adapting to the existing road infrastructure. The design uses designated outer lanes for the trackless trams, which can also be used by pedestrians and surrounding businesses, adding aspects of urban renewal. Section 2 borders the University of Sydney along Parramatta Road, and will use a combination of tunnels and elevated roads to maximise areas of public green space. The purpose of this feature is to add a secondary extension to Victoria Park which can add additional outdoor space for local university students and for the broader community. iv Table of Contents Disclaimer ...................................................................................................................................................................... i Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................................... iv 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Objectives ................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Scope ........................................................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Constraints .................................................................................................................................................. 2 2 Literature Review ................................................................................................................................................ 3 2.1 Trackless Tram Technology ..................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Automation Technology ........................................................................................................................... 5 2.2.1 Navigation Strategies ............................................................................................................................ 5 2.2.2 Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) ............................................................................................. 7 2.2.3 Camera .................................................................................................................................................. 12 2.2.4 Sensor Fusion ...................................................................................................................................... 13 2.2.5 Radio Detection and Ranging (Radar) ............................................................................................. 14 2.3 Trackless Tram Case Studies ................................................................................................................. 15 2.3.1 Case Study: Hunan, China ................................................................................................................. 15 2.3.2 Case Study: Nancy, France ................................................................................................................ 18 2.4 Applications and Opportunities in Australia ....................................................................................... 20 2.4.1 Perth, Western Australia .................................................................................................................... 21 2.4.2 Townsville, Queensland ..................................................................................................................... 22 2.4.3 Badgerys Creek, New South Wales .................................................................................................. 23 2.4.4 Leichhardt to Central, New South Wales ........................................................................................ 23 2.5 Current Popular Modes of Transport .................................................................................................. 24 2.5.1 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) ................................................................................................................... 25 2.5.2 Light Rail Transit (LRT) .................................................................................................................... 27 2.5.3 Comparison Between LRT and BRT ............................................................................................... 28 v 2.6 Site Context Study ................................................................................................................................... 29 2.6.1 Site Context Information ................................................................................................................... 29 2.6.2 Existing Public Transport