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373-Where Does This Bus Go? Learning about the Future of Transit Bus Automation through Research, Pilots, and Demonstrations 

Date and Time: Wednesday, July 12, 2023: 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Location: Imperial B

Session Moderators and Organizers

MODERATORS
Justin John, Transportation Program Specialist, Federal Transit Administration
Steven Mortensen, Senior ITS Engineer, Federal Transit Administration

ORGANIZERS
Steven Mortensen, Senior ITS Engineer, Federal Transit Administration, USDOT
Justin John, Transportation Program Specialist, Federal Transit Administration, USDOT
Joshua Cregger, Technology Policy Analyst, Volpe Transportation Center, USDOT
Kelsey Cooper, Policy Analyst, Volpe Transportation Center, USDOT

TRB Sponsoring Committees and Partners

Session Description and Agenda

DESCRIPTION

The transit Industry is undergoing rapid changes due to advancements in technology particularly with advent of driving automation technologies. This session provides an update on FTA’s Strategic Transit Automation Research (STAR) Plan and explores transit bus automation research, pilot projects, and demonstrations that have been funded and managed by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), including those that have been completed, are ongoing, or are in planning stages.

AGENDA

5:30-5:45 PM – Welcome, Update on FTA’s Transit Bus Automation Research, and Introduction to the Proposed, Updated STAR Plan

Speaker: Steven Mortensen, FTA

5:45-6:50 PM – Panel: “Transit Bus Automation Pilot & Demonstration Projects”

Moderator: Justin John, FTA

Panelists will include:

• Ann Foss, City of Arlington
• Omar Ahmad, University of Iowa
• Nicholas Pilipowskyj, Perrone Robotics
• Bryan Brilhart, RRAI (Robotic Research Autonomous Industries)
• Elliot Martin, UC Berkeley Transportation Sustainability Research Center

6:50-7:00 – Enabling Research and State of the Industry

Speakers: Joshua Cregger and Kelsey Cooper, USDOT Volpe Transportation Center

7:00 PM – Closing Comments

Speaker: Steven Mortensen, FTA

Session Objectives

Automation capabilities have grown rapidly in recent years and have changed the dialogue around all aspects of the surface transportation system. Transit bus automation could deliver many potential benefits, but transit agencies need additional research and practical information to make informed deployment decisions. To support the development and deployment of automated bus transit services and to advance transit readiness for automation and help move the transit industry forward, FTA developed the STAR Plan, which outlines FTA’s research agenda on transit bus automation technologies.

As part of carrying out the STAR plan, FTA has supported multiple integrated demonstrations and developed strategic partnerships with transit agencies interested in this area. FTA and its partners have engaged in this work to help determine the potential benefits and costs of transit bus automation, and to provide transit agencies with the resources, guidance, and tools they need to make informed deployment decisions.

In this session, FTA will discuss its proposed, updated STAR Plan to raise awareness among transit stakeholders. This session also builds on the research that FTA has conducted and pilots and demonstrations that it has supported. The session will be used to share information with attendees, get feedback on past and ongoing FTA work, and create opportunities for in-person discussion. Key takeaways for participants include understanding the latest advances and developments in automated transit bus technologies and pilot projects, as well as the findings and lessons learned from FTA-supported research, pilots, and demonstration projects.