Overview
The mission of CoEXist is to systematically increase the capacity of road authorities of getting ready for the transition towards a shared road network with increasing levels of automated vehicles (AVs), both in terms of vehicle penetration rates and levels of automation using the same road network as conventional vehicles (CVs).
CoEXist will enable mobility stakeholders to get “AV-ready” – which CoEXist defines as conducting transport and infrastructure planning for automated vehicles in the same comprehensive manner as for existing modes such as conventional vehicles, public transport, pedestrians and cyclists, while ensuring continued support for conventional vehicles on the same network.
AV-ready transport and infrastructure planning in cities is a key precondition for fulfilling the promises of AVs to reduce road space demand and improve traffic efficiency and safety – without it, AVs could simply increase the urban mobility problems.
CoEXist will address three key steps in transport and infrastructure development:
- AV-ready transport modelling: Validated extension of existing microscopic and macroscopic transport models to include different types of AVs (passenger car/ light-freight vehicle, automation levels).
- AV-ready road infrastructure: Tool to assess the impact of AVs on safety, traffic efficiency and space demand and development of design guidance for hybrid (AV-/CV-shared) infrastructure.
- AV-ready road authorities: Elaboration of eight use cases in four road authorities (Gothenburg, Helmond, Milton Keynes and Stuttgart), used to evaluate AV impacts on safety, traffic efficiency and road space requirements (with CoEXist tools) and making detailed hybrid infrastructure design recommendations.
Due consideration of CEDR’s Transnational Research Programme is shown through the participation of TRL, the coordinator of the CEDR-funded Dragon project.