Part 1: Who Rides Rural Transit? Clustering Rural Demand Response Transit (DRT) Riders from Tennessee and Implications for Autonomous Vehicle Deployment
Speaker: Candace Brakewood
Demand response transit (DRT) provides important mobility services in rural areas. In this presentation, we present a data-driven methodological framework to identify types of riders who use rural DRT and studied the travel behavior of each rider type. Data containing 10.5 months of trip records from the rural Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee with 86,361 trips taken by 2,361 riders were evaluated using latent profile analysis to categorize riders by key travel behavior indicators (e.g., trips per day, frequency of use, and trip purpose). Seven rider types were identified, each with unique frequency, regularity, duration, distance, and trip purpose trends. These types were categorized as (1) Infrequent Riders, (2) Medical Movers, (3) Market and Medical Trippers, (4) Commuters, (5) Three-Day Riders, (6) Dedicated Dialysis Riders, and (7) Long-Distance Travelers. In this presentation, we also help to lay the groundwork for future DRT research through qualitative evaluation of how current DRT user behaviors may fit into a future mobility landscape with autonomous vehicles. The findings suggest that frequent, routine travelers—particularly commuters—may be the most likely candidates for early AV adoption. However, implementation of AVs in rural areas may be a long-term goal due to complex challenges DRT faces.
Part 2: Connecting Rural Populations that have Disabilities to Automated Vehicle Technology for Improved Access and Mobility
Speaker: Asad J Khattak
Rural areas often have more people living with disabilities (PLWD), who face significant transportation barriers due to limited mobility services, long travel distances, infrastructure constraints, and reduced transportation options. This presentation will discuss a framework developed to evaluate mobility challenges, technology readiness, and opportunities for automated vehicle (AV) deployment to improve accessibility and mobility for rural PLWD. We used data from the 2022 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) Tennessee Add-on to examine mobility patterns and technology-oriented behaviors among PLWD. Importantly, we will discuss insights from a survey of transportation service providers serving rural PLWD. Spatial analyses identified clusters of technology-ready individuals that may represent promising pilot deployment locations. Transportation providers identified financial constraints, vehicle availability, infrastructure limitations, trust in AV technologies, and deployment costs as major barriers to adoption. The findings suggest that successful AV deployment will require affordable service models, improved accessibility infrastructure, stakeholder trust, and integrated mobility planning. The presentation will discuss practical guidance for accessibility-focused transportation planning and AV deployment for PLWDs in rural areas.
