There is great uncertainty about the transition from human to autonomous driving vehicles (AVs), as well as about the extent and direction of their potential impacts on the urban built environment. Planners are aware of the importance of leading this transition but are hesitant about how to proceed, and public administrations generally show a passive attitude. One of the reasons is the difficulty of defining long-term visions and identifying transition paths to achieve the desired future. The literature on AVs is growing rapidly but most of the visions proposed so far do not consider in detail how circulation and parking of AVs will (or could) be differently regulated in cities. In this study, three visions for the Italian city of Turin are proposed. The aim of these visions is to highlight how different forms of regulation of AV circulation and parking can impact on the sustainability and livability of the city. A focus group and a set of interviews with experts and stakeholders were used to validate the three visions and assess their advisability and sustainability. This visioning exercise is the first step in the development of a backcasting process.

Interest in advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) is increasing in modern cities, and more attention is given to real-time multimodal information. Through those systems, decision makers hope to achieve a shift from the car to alternative, environmentally friendly modes of travel. Few comprehensive assessments have been undertaken to verify the actual contribution of ATIS to such modal shift. In this paper, the effects on travel behavior of Optimod’Lyon, a multimodal real-time information navigator for the smartphone developed in Lyon, France, in 2013 and launched in May 2015, are assessed. To this end, a mixed method was adopted. A questionnaire was administered and focus groups were organized before and after the test of the application. A stratified sample of 50 people living in the metropolitan area of Lyon was also involved. The theory of planned behavior was used as the framework for the questionnaire design, which investigated attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. To evaluate behavioral change, data were analyzed through the use of parametric and nonparametric tests, factor analysis, and binary logistic regression. Survey participants were initially interested in Optimod’Lyon and showed a positive attitude toward its use. Before the test, they evaluated the travel planner positively but this lessened over time. After the test, use of the various travel modes remained stable. Consistency with regard to the most used mode and to behavioral patterns and attitudes was shown, strongly related to habits and to the frequency of past behavior.

Advanced traveller information systems (ATIS) are meant to assist people in their daily travel decisions as well as to prompt a shift from cars to alternative and more environmentally-friendly transport strategies. Not many comprehensive studies have been undertaken so far in order to assess the willingness to pay (WTP) for ATIS, despite a development of these tools during the last two decades. This paper aims at analysing the WTP for Optymod’Lyon, a smartphone application which plans your journey travels using real-time information about all available transport modes. To this end, a quali-quantitative approach was adopted, administering a questionnaire to participants and organising focus groups before and after the test of the application. A sample of 42 people living in the metropolitan area of Lyon was involved. Results showed four clusters of participants: idealists, pragmatics, the ambiguous and opportunists. A strong majority of idealists and pragmatics were unwilling to pay, mainly for economic reasons and the availability on the market of free information. They record a lower share of trips to work and a higher share for leisure, shopping and study purposes. Those willing to pay (of which 37.8% were opportunists) report a low monthly charge level (0.2–3 €/month) and are mainly highly-educated car users, travelling for work.

The paper aims to define the new operational requirements and procedures to allow the Gruppo Torinese Trasporti (Torino public transport company) to implement mandatory validation without negative impacts on both the company and the users. To this end, a four-step methodology has been put forward: a) choice of the reference route; b) sampling plan and data collection; c) data analysis design and model specification and d) definition and analysis of future scenarios. Attained results show an increase of commercial speed from 1.5% to 14.5%, and an increase of the proportion of total dwell time on total trip time from 1 to 13 points. The most unfavourable situation for the company would be banning people from boarding the bus/tram through any door (the case today). Indeed, it would require an increase of trips in the morning peak hour in order to maintain the same time interval at bus stops. However, the impact on passengers’ travel time is non negligible since total vehicle trip time shows a rise of up to 10 minutes during weekends shifts (from 62 minutes in the current situation to 72 minutes for the worst case scenario). Thus, the present system limits the outcomes negatively for the users in terms of waiting time. However, a change could lead to such positive consequences as fuller passenger cooperation to validate tickets/passes and a more ordered boarding, thus reducing fraud and improving the image of the company.