Automated Shuttle Feasibility Study and Concept Plan

Stantec’s Greenlight fund provides $2 million annually to support creative and innovative ideas from any of our employees that will benefit our clients, communities, and company. In 2017, our Urban Places team received funding to help clients determine the feasibility of, and develop a plan for, implementation of automated shuttles in their communities. Our first partner in this endeavor was the City of Chamblee, GA, a rapidly urbanizing suburb of Atlanta, with eyes on the future of transportation.

Seeking to elevate their community as a central hub for smart mobility in the region, Chamblee wanted to understand the feasibility for potential deployment of automated shuttles in their downtown. Our work involved investigating various routes that could provide first mile/last mile transit connections to the Chamblee MARTA station. Combining demographic data with on the ground assessments, focus groups, stakeholder interviews, development potential, operational characteristics, and infrastructure evaluation, we are helping the community understand the costs, benefits, and their readiness for SAV deployment.

In addition to the Greenlight feasibility study, our team was hired to complete a detailed design. This phase further analyzed operational characteristics and evaluated infrastructure modifications for the preferred route identified in Phase 1. The technical nature of this study required a deep dive into connected technology, service profiles, and cost estimates. This phase helped the City of Chamblee apply for a US Department of Transportation Automated Driving Systems grant that would fund system implementation alongside a GA Smart Communities grant. These studies are important first steps in implementing a pilot project for what could be one of the first mixed-traffic, automated shuttle deployments in North America.