{"623241":{"#nid":"623241","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Chamblee Explores Development of a Shared Autonomous Shuttle","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe history of the City of Chamblee, incorporated in 1908, is closely linked with the development and use of modern transportation in the United States.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nIn the early 20th century, the city sat at the crossroads of two rail lines\u0026mdash;one for passengers traveling north to Charlotte, North Carolina, the other for goods and workers. By the 1940s, Chamblee\u0026rsquo;s Camp Gordon was the site of a training facility for Navy and Marine Corps aviators.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nMore recently, Chamblee has been exploring a mode of transportation that most cities haven\u0026rsquo;t adopted\u0026mdash;shared autonomous vehicles or SAVs. City officials are partnering with Georgia Tech and design firms Stantec and CPL to launch a semi-autonomous shuttle in downtown Chamblee.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nThe project is part of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.smartcities.ipat.gatech.edu\/georgia-smart\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Smart Communities Challenge\u003C\/a\u003E, which brings together city and county officials and industry to implement smart technology projects. Georgia communities receive seed funding and technical assistance, while Georgia Tech researchers serve as advisors.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAt a recent status meeting about the shuttle project, Chamblee Mayor Eric Clarkson said the project is \u0026ldquo;a testament to the forward thinking in our community\u0026rdquo; and would give the city, which grew in population by over 40-percent between 2010 and 2017, another transportation option. A series of annexations to the north and south also significantly increased land area.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCity officials are now discussing a potential shuttle route: a one-mile stretch on Peachtree Road between McGaw Drive at the Peachtree MARTA station and Broad Street near City Hall. The shuttle could operate for 10-hours a day, seven days a week with five stops along the way at frequently-visited shopping centers, entertainment districts, and employers. Due to regulations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), for now, the shuttle would operate semi-autonomously with an onboard attendant in case of emergencies.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nA second phase of the project could extend shuttle service further east to Assembly Yards, a mixed-use development under construction in Doraville.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nChamblee officials are currently evaluating shuttle vendors, and the city council will have to approve the plan.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBeyond the Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the meeting, a discussion on best practices turned to passenger experience: How can a shared autonomous shuttle meet their needs?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nSince Chamblee and Georgia Tech launched the SAV project nearly a year ago, the transportation landscape has changed. Electric scooters like Bird and Lime are becoming ubiquitous, traveling at the same maximum speed (18 miles per hour) as autonomous shuttles currently in use. Commuters also continue to use ride-share services, and Chamblee is constructing more\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlanta.curbed.com\/2018\/2\/21\/17036268\/chamblee-atlanta-rail-trail-extension\u0022\u003Ebicycle and pedestrian paths\u003C\/a\u003E. Like shuttles, each of these transportation options is touted as one of many solutions to bridging the first-mile\/last-mile gap.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026ldquo;We have a lot more competition,\u0026rdquo; said Ellen Dunham-Jones, professor in the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arch.gatech.edu\/people\/ellen-dunham-jones\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;School of Architecture\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and Chamblee\u0026rsquo;s research advisor on the SAV project.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nShe urged city officials to \u0026ldquo;jump years ahead\u0026rdquo; by creating a shuttle that adapts to various passengers, from kids going to soccer practice at Keswick Park to people enjoying the city\u0026rsquo;s bars and restaurants.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nPutting passengers\u0026rsquo; needs first will prevent the shuttle from becoming \u0026ldquo;a mode of last resort,\u0026rdquo; said\u0026nbsp; Zach Lancaster, a PhD candidate in the School of Architecture. He\u0026rsquo;s developing a best practices guide that considers Chamblee\u0026rsquo;s unique demographics, and how other cities have implemented passenger-focused SAVs \u0026ndash; Singapore\u0026rsquo;s rapid charging stations and plush interiors that foster social interaction; Las Vegas\u0026rsquo;s shuttle attendants who double as city tour guides.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nChamblee is one of four Georgia cities and counties participating in the inaugural 2018 Georgia Smart Communities Challenge. The program is now accepting applications for its second year; learn more at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.smartcities.ipat.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESmart Cities and Inclusive Innovation website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe city is partnering with Georgia Tech as part of the Georgia Smart Communities Challenge.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The city is partnering with Georgia Tech as part of the Georgia Smart Communities Challenge."}],"uid":"27980","created_gmt":"2019-07-11 19:10:57","changed_gmt":"2019-10-07 14:35:31","author":"Alyson Key","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-02-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2019-02-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"623229":{"id":"623229","type":"image","title":"Eric Clarkson","body":null,"created":"1562871160","gmt_created":"2019-07-11 18:52:40","changed":"1562871160","gmt_changed":"2019-07-11 18:52:40","alt":"Eric Clarkson","file":{"fid":"237341","name":"eric_clarkson.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/eric_clarkson.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/eric_clarkson.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":474751,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/eric_clarkson.jpg?itok=f1SlWoIG"}},"623222":{"id":"623222","type":"image","title":"Christopher Le Dantec and Ellen Dunham Jones","body":null,"created":"1562870779","gmt_created":"2019-07-11 18:46:19","changed":"1562870779","gmt_changed":"2019-07-11 18:46:19","alt":"Christopher Le Dantec and Ellen Dunham-Jones","file":{"fid":"237334","name":"ledantec_dunham-jones.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ledantec_dunham-jones.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ledantec_dunham-jones.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":534148,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ledantec_dunham-jones.jpg?itok=oZDe-5ZE"}},"623210":{"id":"623210","type":"image","title":"Zach Lancaster","body":null,"created":"1562869693","gmt_created":"2019-07-11 18:28:13","changed":"1562869693","gmt_changed":"2019-07-11 18:28:13","alt":"Zach Lancaster","file":{"fid":"237321","name":"zach_lancaster.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/zach_lancaster.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/zach_lancaster.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":496574,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/zach_lancaster.jpg?itok=1ZLJEpS3"}}},"media_ids":["623229","623222","623210"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"},{"id":"594329","name":"Smart Cities and Inclusive Innovation"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"167987","name":"smart cities"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAlyson Powell Key\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstitute for People and Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["alyson.powell@ipat.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}