The Route 91 high occupancy toll lane in the Los Angeles area has reduced the period of peak congestion by an hour in each direction daily. Improved traffic signalization is already improving travel times in some corridors. On-board navigation systems are already assisting automobile drivers in identifying less congested alternative routes and thereby improving average travel speeds in urban areas. The automated highway will bring interactive speed control, with computers controlling steering and braking on congested urban freeways. It is expected that roadway capacities could be more than doubled by this technology.
Japan plans to have an automated highway in operation in a decade.
Autonomous automobiles would rely on geo-positioning systems capable of guiding automobiles within tolerances measured in inches. It is possible that technology will eventually deliver highway based systems that combine the personal mobility advantages of the automobile with the theoretical advantages of mass transit. 6 Other U.S. government research indicates that equivalent bus systems can be developed for one-fifth the cost of light rail systems. 7 Finally, high quality bus systems tend to attract a higher percentage of their ridership from automobiles than do rail systems, largely because of their higher operating speeds. 8 Of the seven metropolitan areas that increased their per capita ridership by more than 20 percent since 1980, six relied on expanded bus service.