Investigating the Impacts of Autonomous Vehicles on the Efficiency of Road Network and Traffic Demand: A Case Study of Qingdao, China

Abstract

Rapid urbanization has led to the development of intelligent transport in China. As active safety technology evolves, the integration of autonomous active safety systems is receiving increasing attention to enable the transition from functional to all-weather intelligent driving. In this process of transformation, the goal of automobile development becomes clear: autonomous vehicles. According to the Report on Development Forecast and Strategic Investment Planning Analysis of China’s autonomous vehicle industry, at present, the development scale of China’s intelligent autonomous vehicles has exceeded market expectations. Considering limited research on utilizing autonomous vehicles to meet the needs of urban transportation (transporting passengers), this study investigates how autonomous vehicles affect traffic demand in specific areas, using traffic modeling. It examines how different penetration rates of autonomous vehicles in various scenarios impact the efficiency of road networks with constant traffic demand. In addition, this study also predicts future changes in commuter traffic demand in selected regions using a constructed NL model. The results aim to simulate the delivery of autonomous vehicles to meet the transportation needs of the region.