Abstract
Automated vehicles (AVs) are one of the most significant technological advances in transportation. The benefits of AV technologies could be maximized by increasing vehicle occupancy through pooling and ridesharing, integrating AV use with high-capacity transit systems (e.g., using AVs to complement existing transit), and promoting multimodality (e.g., connecting travelers to public transit). Additionally, shared automated vehicles (SAVs), in which ridesharing companies (similar as today’s Uber or Lyft) offer driverless on-demand mobility services to customers, could enhance transportation access for visually impaired travelers who face unique challenges navigating current transportation systems including public transit and rideshare services. To this point, the research team interviewed 15 visually impaired individuals to understand their current transportation experience (e.g., what challenges they face and how they cope with these challenges); how SAVs might address their transportation needs and challenges; potential issues and solutions for using SAVs; how their travel behavior may change due to SAVs; and how much they would pay for SAV rides.
