Blythe and Rural Automated Vehicle Operations (BRAVO)

To avoid congestion and related emissions, major transport hubs require efficient public transport options that link travellers to onward destinations. Viable options must provide end-to-end comfort, reliability, safety, and accessibility. Currently, unless running along primary, dense transport arteries, public transport operators cannot deliver commercial, reliable services that link transport hubs with many standalone locations such as business parks, universities, housing estates, rural towns, and retail parks, due to ridership narrowly missing commercial thresholds, in turn resulting in significant private vehicle use -- such routes are termed "Step 2". These trips are typically repeatable, below 10 miles and involve hundreds (not thousands) of passengers per day. Delivering such journeys via commercially viable public transport represents a core mobility challenge to transport commissioners.

The UK Central Hub (the Hub) is home to the future Arden Cross HS2 interchange, Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International Railway station. It is a transport and commercial hub of regional significance. Approximately 7.8 miles south of the Hub is Blyth Valley Park (BVP), a commercial centre with over 3,500 people travelling to and from it each day. In addition, the park is approaching completion of 750 new homes. It takes over an hour by public transport to reach the Hub.

The route linking the Hub and BVP, the focus of this study, utilises a short 'junction hop' length of the M42\. The outcomes from the study will enable an informed evaluation of CAM to equivalent mobility challenges nationwide, including those that utilise the Strategic Road Network (SRN).There is no existing data and knowledge of scaled Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) services. As CAM solutions approach maturity novel and innovative methodologies are needed to evaluate their viability. This project will deliver a study on the feasibility of a CAM shuttle service considering two different Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technologies, to address the UK Central Hub to BVP challenge.