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Pilot

Swiss Transit Lab Route 12

Swiss Transit Lab Route 12
Location
Schaffhausen, Switzerland
Date
Started
Length
1.2 km
Project details
Go to Swiss Transit Lab Route 12's website Show project details
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What

The Swiss Transit Lab Route 12 pilot, operated by the Public Transport Operator (PTO) Verkehrsbetriebe Schaffhausen (VBSH), provides a transport service during the summer from Monday to Saturday, 13:00 to 17:00 and on Sundays from 10:00 to 18:00. In the winter, the shuttle operates from 12:00 to 16:00 every day. The shuttle follows a fixed route with seven station based stops. Along its way, the shuttle encounters mixed traffic on public streets and many pedestrians as it goes through a pedestrian zone. The shuttle is wheelchair accessible.

Why

The Route 12 aims to offer mobility solutions to the first and last mile section of the trip. The shuttle is integrated into the existing public transport network of the canton of Schaffhausen and therefore uses the existing infrastructure. The objectives of this pilot is to integrate autonomous vehicles in the existing public transport system, improve and advance technology and increase the acceptance of AV among the public.

© Verkehrsbetriebe Schaffhausen. Swiss Transit Lab Route 12.

© Verkehrsbetriebe Schaffhausen. Swiss Transit Lab Route 12.

Budget & Financing

The budget of route 12 is €1m. It is financed by the Regional Development of Economic Promotion canton of Schaffhausen.

Regulatory Framework

Pilot projects with AV shuttles are usually approved.

Challenges

Some of the challenges the pilot encountered include navigating on slopes with 15% inclination or more, bi-directional operation and open streets.

Results & Evaluation

© Verkehrsbetriebe Schaffhausen. Swiss Transit Lab Route 12 - Route

Results & Evaluation

On average, the shuttle transports 80 people per day and travels a distance of 8km at an operational speed of 15km/h. By the end of the trial, the shuttle is expected to have transported 50,000 passengers.

Associated Research

An associated research to this pilot is conducted by ETH Zurich on the acceptance of transition to AVs in three cities of the canton of Schaffhausen.

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Lexicon

7 words explained

platooning

Also known as flocking. A collection of (automated) vehicles that travel together, actively coordinated in formation. Platoons decrease the distances between vehicles using electronic, and possibly mechanical, coupling. Platooning allows many vehicles to accelerate or brake simultaneously.

urban setting

High density environment with an efficient high capacity public transport system with good capillarity and high frequencies.

suburban setting

Medium density environment with a good public transport system with radial connections to the city center, but lower capillarity and frequencies. This setting includes suburban cities.

small cities

Small, isolated city with an own public transport system and <100K inhabitants.

rural

Low-density environment, small cities and villages with poor public transport services mainly connecting the villages.

SAE level

The SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) levels define the level of vehicle autonomy, or in other words, how much human intervention is still needed for an automated vehicle to operate. Currently, five SAE levels have been defined: Level 0: Automated system issues warnings and may momentarily intervene but has no sustained vehicle control. Level 1 (hands on): Driver and automatic system share vehicle control. The driver must be ready to retake full control at any time. Level 2 (hands off): The automated system takes full control of the vehicle (accelerating, braking, and steering). The driver must monitor the driving and be prepared to intervene immediately at any time if the automated system fails to respond properly. Level 3 (eyes off): The automated system takes full control of the vehicle (accelerating, braking, and steering). The driver must monitor the driving and be prepared to intervene immediately at any time if the automated system fails to respond properly. Level 4 (mind off): As level 3, but no driver attention is ever required for safety, e.g. the driver may safely go to sleep or leave the driver's seat. Level 5 (steering wheel optional): No human intervention is required at all. An example would be a robotic taxi.

V2X

Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication is the passing of information from a vehicle to any entity that may affect the vehicle, and vice versa.