The city of Munich has launched a pilot project for automated and connected driving. Until December 2020, the state capital will analyze and test new technologies in the pilot project called "Easyride – Automated and Connected Driving in an Urban Context – Pilot City Munich" together with numerous mobility providers. The aim is to define goals, identify realistic development paths, and derive recommendations for action. The project is funded by the federal government.
The pilot project for automated and connected driving investigates the impacts on urban mobility and urban development in Munich and the surrounding region. The results are also exciting for sustainable transport planning. Using simulations and various scenarios, the participants are testing various vehicle types, such as cars, shuttle buses, and regular buses.
Strategic component of Munich's transport policy
The results will be incorporated into the city of Munich's new mobility plan. A toolbox of sorts is also planned. This toolbox is intended to be useful to other cities that want to deploy autonomous driving. Specifically, new pooling and sharing services will be developed, modeled, and evaluated in various scenarios. The goal is also to minimize empty trips and better utilize public transport, thereby reducing overall traffic.
Munich's mayor Dieter Reiter sees the project as a strategic component of Munich’s transport and economic policy.
“Autonomous driving has the potential to improve mobility in Munich and at the same time reduce the amount of space used by parked vehicles,”
says Mayor Reiter.
A major sticking point so far: the legal framework. This area, too, is to be further developed – for future providers, but also for municipalities, which must fulfill their regulatory function.
Pilot project for automated and connected driving — it’s about practical use
The pilot project for automated and connected driving also focuses on the practical application of new technologies. Participating mobility providers are intended to create a basis for deploying and managing automated and connected vehicle fleets. In addition to BMW and the Munich municipal utilities, the Technische Universität München, the Bundeswehr University Munich, and various other institutes and industrial companies from across Germany are also participating in the project. In Munich, the Department of Urban Planning and Building Regulations is responsible for planning tasks, while the District Administration Department coordinates the legal and technical aspects of road traffic.
“In order to achieve a traffic-efficient, city-compatible solution, it is of utmost importance that, in addition to vehicle manufacturers and public transport operators, the city administration also participates intensively in the discussion about future mobility in Munich,”
explains Mayor Reiter.
The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure is funding the project with 6.6 million euros. The total volume amounts to 10.56 million euros.
