ITS Berkeley

The Expansion of California’s Freeway Service Patrol Program is Delivering Benefits to Motorists and the Environment

Mauch, Michael
Skabardonis, Alexander
McKeever, Benjamin
2019

The Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) program has the goal of reducing congestion by using fleets of roving tow and service trucks to quickly clear disabled vehicles and address other minor accidents on California’s freeway. The FSP program is jointly managed by Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol (CHP), and regional transportation agencies. Approximately $21.25 million in State transportation funds are provided each year to eligible regional transportation agencies for the FSP program using a formula-based allocation. The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB 1) directs an...

Real-World Simulations of Life with an Autonomous Vehicle Suggest Increased Mobility and Vehicle Travel

Harb, Mustapha
Walker, Joan
Malik, Jai
Circella, Giovanni
2021

Fully autonomous vehicles are expected to have a profound effect on travel behavior. The technology will provide convenience and better mobility for many, allowing owners to perform other tasks while traveling, summon their vehicles from a distance, and send vehicles off to complete tasks without them. These travel behaviors could lead to increases in vehicle miles traveled that will have major implications for traffic congestion and pollution. To estimate the extent to which travel behavior will change, researchers and planners have typically relied on adjustments to existing travel...

Insights on Autonomous Vehicle Policy from Early Adopter Cities and Regions

Chatman, Daniel G., PhD
Moran, Marcel E.
2019

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are being widely tested and piloted to carry passengers and freight. However, the potential uses and impacts of AVs in communities are uncertain. There are claims that AVs may be able to improve road safety, make travel more convenient, lower shipping costs, and reduce the need for automobile parking. But there are also concerns that AVs may increase road congestion, reduce transit ridership, compete for curb space, and even increase urban sprawl. To better understanding how cities and regions are currently engaging with and planning for AVs, twenty interviews...

Local Governments Strategies to Improve Shared Micromobility Infrastructure

Shaheen, Susan, PhD
Martin, Elliot, PhD
Cohen, Adam
2024

This brief explores how shared micromobility (bikesharing and scooter sharing) has evolved since the pandemic. Primary data for this report were collected through four surveys: An Operator Survey (n=25) and an Agency Survey (n=52) distributed between January 2022 and May 2022 to all known shared micromobility operators and agencies and included questions about the attributes of shared micromobility systems1 operating within those agency jurisdictions and operator markets; and a similar Operator Survey (n=29) and an Agency Survey (n=52) distributed between January 2023 and June 2023 to all...

The Benefits and Challenges of Incorporating Uber and Lyft in Subsidized Ride Programs that Serve Vulnerable Populations

Halpern, Jeremy
Deakin, Elizabeth
Parker, Madeleine
2020

Cities, transit agencies, and social service providers across the U.S. have implemented programs that provide taxi subsidies for people who have difficulty driving a car or using the regular transit system. These programs usually serve older residents and people with disabilities, though a few also serve low income users. Taxi subsidy programs provide curb-to-curb or door-to-door transportation at a fraction of the cost of paratransit.1 However, as Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), such as Uber and Lyft, have entered markets around the country, taxi availability has declined,...

Climate Adaptation Strategies for California Airports will Require a Holistic Approach, Including New Governance Models

Lindbergh, Sarah, PhD
Reed, Jackson
Takara, Matthew
Aparri, Aidan
Rakas, Jasenka, PhD
2022

Airports are complex social, technical, and environmental systems. Understanding their complexity is fundamental for advancing transformative climate adaptation policy. For airports to adapt, climate science must be incorporated not only into standards of specific equipment and facilities, but also into the air traffic network and its interconnected infrastructure systems (e.g., road access, ground-based communications, navigation, and surveillance systems). In addition, airport adaptation requires a shift in the way policy is designed, reinforced, and updated, which in turn relies on an...

Automated Vehicle Technology Has the Potential to Smooth Traffic Flow and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Almatrudi, Sulaiman
Parvate, Kanaad
Rothchild, Daniel
Vijay, Upadhi
Jang, Kathy
Bayen, Alexandre
2022

In an ideal world, all cars along a congested roadway would travel at the same constant average speed; however, this is hardly the case. As soon as one driver brakes, trailing cars must also brake to compensate, leading to “stop and go” traffic waves. This unnecessary braking and accelerating increases fuel consumption (and greenhouse gas emissions) by as much as 67 percent.1 Fortunately, automated vehicles (AVs) — even Level 2 AVs2 which are commercially available today — have the potential to mitigate this problem. By accelerating less than a human would, an AV with flow smoothing...

Considerations for Mitigating VehicleMiles Traveled under SB 743

Elkind, Ethan
Lamm, Ted
2018

Pursuant to Senate Bill 743 (Steinberg, 2013), which reformed the process for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review of transportation impacts to align with greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research identified vehicle miles traveled (VMT) as the key metric to measure transportation impacts of new developments under CEQA.As a result, project developers will now have to reduce VMT to mitigate significant transportation impacts. While methods for reducing VMT impacts are well understood, implementing VMT reduction measures thatare...

Where are Private “Smart City” Transportation Technologies Concentrated in California?

Huang, Amy
Post, Alison E.
Ratan, Ishana
Hill, Mary C.
Zhao, Bingyu
2022

In recent years, “smart city” information and communication technologies have proliferated. For local government agencies, procuring and introducing these technologies offers the possibility to manage infrastructure assets more effectively, plan for preventive maintenance, and disseminate schedules and information about transit and other services. Many of these technologies are deployed by private firms in the context of local regulations and government-sponsored incentives. In the transportation sector, examples of “smart city” technology services provided by private firms include:...

Creative Reallocation of Curbs, Streets, Sidewalks Accelerated by the Pandemic May be Here to Stay

Shaheen, Susan, PhD
Cohen, Adam
Broader, Jacquelyn
2023

Curb space has been traditionally designed for private vehicle parking, public transit, and passenger and commercial loading. However, in recent years, a growing number of newservices and activities have increased the demand for limited curb space, including passenger pick-up and drop-off; last-mile delivery (e.g., courier network services, personal delivery devices); electric vehicle (EV) charging; micromobility parking and use (e.g., personally owned and shared bikes and scooters); and carsharing services. The curb serves a variety of functions such as vehicle and device storage (...