Determining the number of collection points for autonomous vehicle-based service using gravity model

Autonomous vehicles contribute to the development of on-demand mobility services for commuters in a metropolitan area. The aim of our research is to develop a method of determining the number of collection points for a shared autonomous vehicle-based mobility service. In the service, microcars are used to serve the demands. However, only the first and last kilometers of a trip are done by the microcars; they are transported together on a trailer for common route sections. The boarding and alighting of microcars are managed in collection points. The collection point number determination method is based on Newton’s model of gravity; variables about territorial and commuting aspects were considered (e.g., distance, public transportation availability, population, job opportunities, modal share, willingness to change). The method was applied to a certain part of the Budapest metropolitan area as a case study. The results contribute to the introduction of autonomous vehicle-based mobility services.