With rapid advancements in automated driving technologies, there is a growing emphasis on enhancing physical and digital infrastructure to ensure safe and efficient integration of Automated Vehicles (AVs) into road networks. This study conducts the first exploratory analysis of the impact of heterogeneity in road infrastructure readiness on the usefulness of AVs for urban commuting, with a focus on Leeds, UK. Employing a hypothetical scenario where current car commuters have access to AVs for their daily trips, this research explores possibility of replacing commuting trips by AVs, given the existing levels of infrastructure readiness. Through the evaluation of various road network configurations and AV capabilities, the study evaluated the usefulness of AVs for such journeys. The findings reveal that infrastructure readiness levels significantly impact AV performance and usefulness, potentially necessitating infrastructure upgrades to facilitate future AV deployment. The analysis indicates that relatively less challenging paths for AVs tend to be longer than those typically used by human-driven vehicles, with an increase of approximately 5 miles (8 km) in travel distance for some origin-destination pairs. Despite only 20 % of road links being classified as extremely challenging within the network, their dispersed distribution resulted in significant connectivity barriers, rendering a considerable number of trips infeasible for AV navigation. The research findings can provide valuable insights to help understand the integration of AVs into road networks and assist decision-makers and transport planners in developing informed and forward-looking policies, regulations and guidelines.

中文翻译：

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基础设施质量对自动驾驶汽车实用性的影响：以英国利兹为例


随着自动驾驶技术的快速发展，人们越来越重视增强物理和数字基础设施，以确保自动驾驶汽车 （AV） 安全高效地集成到道路网络中。本研究首次对道路基础设施准备情况的异质性对 AV 对城市通勤有用性的影响进行了探索性分析，重点是英国利兹。本研究采用当前汽车通勤者在日常出行中使用 AV 的假设场景，探讨了鉴于现有基础设施准备水平，用 AV 取代通勤出行的可能性。通过评估各种道路网络配置和 AV 功能，该研究评估了 AV 对此类旅程的有用性。研究结果表明，基础设施的就绪程度会显著影响 AV 的性能和实用性，可能需要升级基础设施以促进未来的 AV 部署。分析表明，自动驾驶汽车相对难度较小的路径往往比人类驾驶车辆通常使用的路径更长，一些起点-目的地对的行驶距离增加了约 5 英里（8 公里）。尽管在网络中只有 20% 的道路连接被归类为极具挑战性，但它们的分散分布导致了严重的连接障碍，使相当多的出行无法用于 AV 导航。研究结果可以提供有价值的见解，帮助理解自动驾驶汽车与道路网络的整合，并帮助决策者和交通规划者制定明智和前瞻性的政策、法规和指南。