I’d argue that one of the most important complements to autonomous “feeder” or low density transit is safe streets. Walking and micromobility can soak up a surprising number of trips, especially short trips, but today’s North American built environment makes this unsafe and unpleasant. Progress we make on safe walking and biking/micromobility transport will also help make incremental development more viable, which further supports transit viability.
That step is closer to 2 than to 1. Such trams and streetcars often don't have their own rights-of-way (ROW)—think Toronto or New Orleans or Baltimore—and such don't have a straightforward path to automation. True light rail in its own ROW would have an easier time of it, being closer to heavy rail in the "forward or backwards is the only choice" mode. Streetcars and trams have to handle "private autos or pedestrians or cyclists in my space" mode. That's hard, and would need sensors and software, not merely good signals. Given the relatively small market, it will take time.
"This means that automating buses would offer substantial savings. To look at a specific case: labour makes up 65% of San Francisco BART’s fiscal-year 2025 budgeted operating costs"
But BART is the subway operator (with some bus extensions?). Is this true for MUNI (more busses but some rail)?
Drea, good catch; the figure is correct—I took it from BART's fiscal reporting—but it's bus-and-subway operating, not bus alone, meaning that I chose a poor example. I will amend.
Great series, I loved it!
I’d argue that one of the most important complements to autonomous “feeder” or low density transit is safe streets. Walking and micromobility can soak up a surprising number of trips, especially short trips, but today’s North American built environment makes this unsafe and unpleasant. Progress we make on safe walking and biking/micromobility transport will also help make incremental development more viable, which further supports transit viability.
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An intermediate step between 1 and 2: How close are we to being able to automate existing street-level tram lines?
That step is closer to 2 than to 1. Such trams and streetcars often don't have their own rights-of-way (ROW)—think Toronto or New Orleans or Baltimore—and such don't have a straightforward path to automation. True light rail in its own ROW would have an easier time of it, being closer to heavy rail in the "forward or backwards is the only choice" mode. Streetcars and trams have to handle "private autos or pedestrians or cyclists in my space" mode. That's hard, and would need sensors and software, not merely good signals. Given the relatively small market, it will take time.
About 1.5 of our streetcar routes in Toronto are ROW - and we’ll have a ROW LRT opening hopefully next year.
"This means that automating buses would offer substantial savings. To look at a specific case: labour makes up 65% of San Francisco BART’s fiscal-year 2025 budgeted operating costs"
But BART is the subway operator (with some bus extensions?). Is this true for MUNI (more busses but some rail)?
Drea, good catch; the figure is correct—I took it from BART's fiscal reporting—but it's bus-and-subway operating, not bus alone, meaning that I chose a poor example. I will amend.
To be fair, it would be even easier to automate the rail part of BART, so the savings are still there.