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Title:

Impacts of Minnesota Valley Transit Authority’s Driver Assist System on Bus Shoulder Operations

Accession Number:

01372647

Record Type:

Component

Abstract:

This paper summarizes an evaluation of the driver assist system (DAS) used by the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority for bus shoulder operations. The DAS is a GPS-based technology suite that provides lane position feedback to the driver via a head-up display, virtual mirror, vibrating seat, and actuated steering. MVTA’s primary goal was to enhance driver confidence especially during adverse weather. Secondary goals included reduced travel times, increased reliability, safety, and customer satisfaction. The evaluation used a “with and without” approach. Performance data was collected from the same drivers with the DAS set to passive and then active mode. When the DAS was in active mode, the drivers stayed in the shoulders 10 percent longer and drove 3 miles per hour faster. Lateral (side-to-side) movement was reduced by 5.5 inches. These results should be considered preliminary as only 6 of the 25 trained drivers used the shoulders during both test periods. When surveyed, 32 percent of the bus drivers said their level of confidence driving in the shoulder was greater when using the DAS while 60 percent said it was the same. A majority believed the DAS made driving in the shoulder safer and less stressful. Nevertheless, many drivers raised concerns about the head-up display being a distraction. By contrast, the vibrating seat was praised as the best feature of the entire system. In regards to customer satisfaction, over 80 percent of surveyed passengers rated the ride quality in the shoulder as very good or good.

Supplemental Notes:

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AP050 Bus Transit Systems

Monograph Accession #:

01362476

Report/Paper Numbers:

12-1684

Language:

English

Corporate Authors:

Transportation Research Board

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Authors:

Pessaro, Brian
Van Nostrand, Caleb

Pagination:

13p

Publication Date:

2012

Conference:

Transportation Research Board 91st Annual Meeting

Location: Washington DC, United States
Date: 2012-1-22 to 2012-1-26
Sponsors: Transportation Research Board

Media Type:

Digital/other

Features:

Figures; References; Tables

Uncontrolled Terms:

Vehicle assist and automation

Geographic Terms:

Minnesota

Subject Areas:

Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety

Source Data:

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2012 Paper #12-1684

Files:

TRIS, TRB

Created Date:

Feb 8 2012 5:04PM