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Effects of Exclusive Lanes for Autonomous Vehicles on Urban Expressways under Mixed Traffic of Autonomous and Human-Driven Vehicles

Author

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  • Jonghan Park

    (Department of Urban and Regional Development, Graduate School of Urban Studies, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea)

  • Seunghwa Jang

    (Department of Urban and Regional Development, Graduate School of Urban Studies, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea)

  • Joonho Ko

    (Department of Urban and Regional Development, Graduate School of Urban Studies, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea)

Abstract

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are expected to be seen easily on our roads, providing benefits to society in the future. However, due to the challenges faced such as technical and regulatory issues, it will take a long time to reach 100% AVs, suggesting the coexistence of AVs and human-driven vehicles (HVs) for a substantial time. This coexistence of the mixed traffic of AVs and HVs may affect network performances in urban areas. Under this circumstance, to promote the rapid advancement of AV technology, transportation authorities are considering introducing AV-exclusive lanes. This study evaluates AV lane operation scenarios with mixed traffic consisting of both AVs and HVs. We utilized a macroscopic traffic simulation-based approach to measure the effects of AV lanes on two urban expressways in Seoul, South Korea. We varied the market penetration rate (MPR) from 10 to 80% in 10% increments. The simulation results indicate that the impact of exclusive lanes can be either negligible or beneficial depending on the characteristics of the roads. The results also showed that, in terms of the efficient use of road capacity, AV lanes should be introduced when the MPR reaches at least 20 to 30%. The results also showed that the capacity gain effect is more sensitive over a lower MPR range. We expect this study to not only enhance policy makers’ and planners’ fundamental understanding of the early stages of AV-exclusive lanes, but also help them prepare a large-scale urban network structure in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonghan Park & Seunghwa Jang & Joonho Ko, 2023. "Effects of Exclusive Lanes for Autonomous Vehicles on Urban Expressways under Mixed Traffic of Autonomous and Human-Driven Vehicles," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2023:i:1:p:26-:d:1303159
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Zhu, H.B., 2010. "Numerical study of urban traffic flow with dedicated bus lane and intermittent bus lane," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 389(16), pages 3134-3139.
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    6. Jun, Wang Ki & An, Myung Ho & Choi, Jae Young, 2022. "Impact of the connected & autonomous vehicle industry on the Korean national economy using input-output analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
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