# Criteria for Route Evaluation of Automated Buses
## 1 Introduction  
Automated driving is a key technology for reducing CO\({}_{2}\) emissions in the transport sector and contributing to a turnaround in transport policy [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. However, this is only possible by sharing the use of automated vehicles [1, 6, 7]. Waymo is an example from the USA that has already reached automation level 4 according to SAE J3016 and is on the road in defined operating areas without a driver on board [8, 9, 10, 11, 12]. In Europe, automated buses are currently mainly used in various individual test operations but not across the board [13, 14]. For example, a vehicle from the company EasyMile in Toulouse drives automatically without a driver (level 4) [15]. Further operations that plan to reach level 4 according to SAE are planned in Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg, among other places [16, 17, 18].  
According to the roadmap for the development of automated driving, the European Road Transport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC) predicts that the first automated vehicles will be used in Europe by 2030 [19]. To achieve this, research must be conducted, and progress must be made in many different areas. In addition to the further developmentof vehicle technology, these include infrastructure, legal framework conditions, users (user acceptance), socio-economic aspects, deployment planning, and business models, as well as field use [7; 20; 21; 22; 23].  
Due to the fact that level 4 automated buses are dependent on the road infrastructure and the area of the operational design domain (ODD), planning potential routes is a field of research for the establishment of automated vehicles [7; 22; 23; 24]. ERTRAC makes it clear that the advantages of automated driving can only be realized if the requirements of the ODD are met [21]. Furthermore, the planning processes are another building block for implementing automated driving [19; 25].  
Due to its widespread use in Europe, the automated bus is considered in this work. [PERSON] et al. have already developed a process model for the introduction of automated buses in the context of the planning process for automated vehicles [26]. Based on the traffic planning process, the service planning for automated buses is explained in detail [26]. A key component of the process model is an evaluation model that shows the feasibility of individual streets for the operation of automated buses [26]. The infrastructure of the individual streets is to be evaluated in the process [26]. This is essential in order to subsequently plan capacities, timetables, and specific vehicles for the routes [26].  
In order to construct the evaluation model using various assessment methods (e.g., utility analysis, multi-criteria impact analysis), it is essential to first identify the relevant criteria. Therefore, the aim of this contribution is to identify and prioritize the criteria for route evaluation in the context of automated bus deployment. To achieve this, it is necessary to analyze which criteria for route evaluation have already been addressed in the literature and whether a comprehensive overview exists. Additionally, an appropriate research methodology must be selected to determine these criteria. Finally, to assess the practical applicability, it is important to examine the extent to which the identified criteria can be applied to a real-world case.  
For this purpose, a comprehensive literature review on route criteria for automated vehicles and buses is conducted in the following section. In this context, the research gap is thoroughly addressed. Section 3 outlines the methodological approach for identifying the criteria and provides a justification for the selection of the methods employed. Based on expert interviews, the criteria for the route evaluation of automated buses are presented and categorized in Section 4. To assess the applicability of the criteria, a case study is introduced in Section 5 and discussed in Section 6. This paper concludes with a discussion, a summary, and an outlook.