Mission to SPACE completed: UITP’s automated vehicles project draws to a close
UITP's mission to SPACE has been completed!
- Label
- News
- date
- 5 October 2021

Innovation and technology developments such as automated vehicles should help cities and regions to reach the goals they set for the future. We all aim for more liveable cities that are attractive to citizens and businesses. Therefore we need to tackle environmental issues and create vibrant public spaces with better accessibility. How can automated vehicles contribute to this goal?
In this chapter we will provide you with a roadmap on how to reach the scenario where fleets of shared AVs are integrated into public transport. You will also find various use cases of AVs in urban, suburban or rural settings, categorised by the level of integration with public transport, the vehicle equipment needs and the target users.
Automated road vehicles (AVs) provide many opportunities for better urban mobility services. But how AVs can best be integrated depends on the environment of the area. The SPACE project partners have defined a list of different use cases, or scenarios, to offer guidance on how to deploy AVs in environments with different densities – ranging from an urban setting, a suburban setting and small cities, to rural areas. When you filter for one of these environments in the list below, it will show you only the most relevant scenarios, which does not mean this AV scenario is not seen in other environments. The list is not exhaustive and given the ongoing changes and technological developments, it will be updated over time. The scenarios have been put on a timeline in order to underline what scenarios are already happening, which ones are under development for implementation in the near future and which ones still need some time. An important aspect to be noted is that every use case does not necessarily require a different type of vehicle and a fleet of AVs can be used for different scenarios.
For examples of automated metros in the world take a look at UITP’s Observatory of automated metros
©TUDelft
The speed and size of AVs should always be linked to the demand and local needs, and should depend on the local context and not on technological developments. The aim in the future is that all services will run on demand and with minimum level 4 of automation in order to be able to run them without a driver on board, but with accompanying staff on board when needed. Where smaller AVs are used, they can be conceived as being modular or be deployed using platooning, whenever larger capacity is required. Over time, the expected decrease in private car use will lead to larger-size vehicles serving in automated fleets.
AVs can have a dual use. Alongside transporting passengers, another important functionality of AVs is urban freight distribution. The service could be converted to urban cargo distribution at night or at planned timeslots, which would require special vehicle equipment (for example, lockers for parcel delivery).
Fully integrated in public transport offer: ticket, fare, app, dispatching, control room
Mixed traffic, low-floor, ramp, space for stroller/luggage/wheelchair
Users in areas not covered by public transport core network
Information about the service will be integrated in the public transport information platform.
Pedestrian areas and mixed traffic, low-floor, ramp, space for stroller/luggage/wheelchair. Lockers if used for parcel delivery
Employees, clients, students, visitors, patients (depending on origin and destination of service)
Fully integrated in public transport offer: ticket, fare, app, dispatching, control room
High-capacity buses, ramp
All users
Fully integrated in public transport offer: ticket, fare, app, dispatching, control room
Depends on the event
Participants of the event
Fully integrated in public transport offer: ticket, fare, app, dispatching, control room
Mixed traffic, low-floor, ramp, space for stroller/luggage/wheelchair
Users in areas not covered by public transport core network
Ticketing, app, dispatching, control room, maintenance
Mixed traffic, low-floor, ramp, space for stroller/luggage/wheelchair
All inhabitants
No integration unless part of contract
Mixed traffic, larger capacity, access for PRM
Pupils, students
Fully integrated in public transport offer : access, app, dispatching, control room
High comfort, SEA level 4 if limited to a certain area, outside the vehicle would need to drive manually or would need SEA level 5 automation
Family, private group, business customers
Fully integrated in public transport offer :ticket, app, dispatching, control room
High-capacity buses, ramp
All users
UITP's mission to SPACE has been completed!
The SPACE Final Conference will take place on 30 September.
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.