The next revolution: how autonomous cars will change the face of our city

(Hai Fe) - Can we imagine a world where traffic jams and parking problems are a thing of the past?
A "regular" street in our city is actually a car park that runs along the edge of all the city's roads. The beauty of the city and the beauty of the street, as a public space, is actually hidden by rows of cars parked on the side of the roads and in the parking lots.

The traffic jams we experience every day are caused not only by the drive itself but also by looking for parking. In neighborhoods, cities and commercial centers, people waste precious time and nerves trying to find a place for their car.

As of today it is a bit difficult to imagine, but the autonomous cars, which will arrive in Israel in a few years (fashionably late, of course), promise to change this reality and open up to our cities a new and promising future of urban planning.

A commercial video of the WAYMU company that uses autonomous Jaguar vehicles

Surprising research: how much of the traffic on the roads is looking for parking?

Studies show that a significant percentage of traffic in cities originates from cars looking for parking. Try to remember for a moment how many turns you need to make to find parking in the Carmel Center area or on Horev Street. Try for a moment to remember how much load is created by one driver who blocks the right lane on the Moriah highway when he is parking, or waiting for another vehicle to leave the parking lot in order to take his place...

This situation is not unique to the big cities - even suburban city centers and parking lots in shopping malls and open shopping centers suffer from a similar phenomenon, when drivers drive around the lots to find free parking, thus increasing the load on the roads. The data highlights the huge loss in time, fuel and nerves that these cars produce.

Autonomous cars: the solution to traffic jams and land shortages

The advent of autonomous cars could revolutionize our cities dramatically. Unlike human-driven cars, these vehicles do not need to search for parking. They can continue on to the next trip, leave the city center for maintenance, or even stay in remote locations until needed again. This solution will not only allow smoother traffic on the roads, but will also free up vast areas of land that are currently used for parking lots - for public uses such as parks, educational buildings and new infrastructure.

This is how transportation will work in the era of the autonomous taxi:

The autonomous car will operate independently, so we can order it through an app. One of the autonomous cars circulating in the city will come to us at the pick-up point we requested, take us to the desired destination, and from there continue immediately to the next customer.

The system will operate similarly to taxis today, which are ordered through dedicated apps, but at a much lower price. This is because an autonomous car does not require a driver, so the cost of the driver - one of the most expensive components of the trip price - will not be calculated. Thus, for example, an urban trip from the French Carmel to the center of Horeb that currently costs NIS 50-70 (depending on traffic) may cost only NIS 15-30, an amount that is closer to the cost of a bus ride. This advantage will make the autonomous taxi economically accessible and save the need to own a private car, since its use will be convenient and significantly cheaper. The availability of autonomous taxis will also increase, depending on their number throughout the city.

Potential for change in dense city centers

In Haifa there are tens of thousands of parking spaces along the roads and in above and below ground parking lots. Many of the city's residents do not take taxis and own one or more vehicles per family, due to the high price of a taxi ride. We park the car at the end of the day near the house.

The autonomous cars will be able to serve the city's residents during the day and turn to parking lots on the outskirts of the city at the end of the day, where they can be charged (if they are electric) or undergo various treatments by the operating company. The municipality could reconsider the need for those large parking spaces, which are in use today within the city. Imagine for a moment Tschernihovsky Avenue - Sderot Hanasi - Moriah - and a ruin with no parking on its sides. A huge area may become available that can be used for planting trees, or for a bicycle path. Imagine the parking lots inside the neighborhoods - these areas may become green spaces, cultural complexes and more...

Several cities in the world are pioneers in the field of autonomous taxis

This field is still in its infancy, but several major cities around the world have already integrated autonomous vehicles into their transportation systems, offering driverless taxi services to the public. Here are some notable examples:

• San Francisco, California, USA: Waymo, the autonomous driving unit of Alphabet (Google's parent company), operates a 24/7 autonomous taxi service in San Francisco using a fleet of autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles. The service makes over 10,000 weekly trips and contributes to reducing accidents that cause injuries.
• Phoenix, Arizona, USA: Waymo launched its autonomous taxi service, Waymo One, in Phoenix in 2020. Since then, the service has expanded to provide residents with access to driverless rides through the Waymo app.
• Los Angeles, California, USA: Waymo has expanded its autonomous taxi operations to Los Angeles, covering a sizable area across the city. The service is open to the general public and provides many trips every week, while promoting autonomous vehicle technology.
• Wuhan, China: Baidu's Apollo Go autonomous taxi service operates over 400 fully autonomous vehicles in Wuhan, providing 24/7 service to residents. The company plans to expand the fleet to 1,000 vehicles, potentially making Wuhan a global center for autonomous taxis.
• Beijing and Shanghai, China: Baidu's Apollo Go also operates in Beijing and Shanghai, offering autonomous taxi services to the public as part of China's effort to lead in autonomous vehicle technology.

These cities represent the forefront of integrating autonomous vehicles into urban transportation systems, and offer a glimpse into the future of transportation and the potential benefits of this technology.

A new city: the autonomous car revolution is on its way

In an era where autonomous cars rule the roads, our cities will look completely different. Instead of huge parking lots, we can enjoy green parks. Instead of traffic jams - quiet and flowing streets. The number of accidents will decrease significantly. The huge costs of maintaining vehicles in the family will decrease. This change, which is fast approaching, embodies within it the potential to improve the quality of life for all of us and to build an accessible, pleasant and sustainable urban world. There is something to look forward to, but patience is required...

And meanwhile in Israel - start with an autonomous bus:

Ministry of Transportation announcement from 19/9/24: Nahariya will be the first city in Israel, where driverless autonomous buses will be operated on a regular urban route. The Ministry of Transportation and Road Safety approved the Israeli company Imagery to conduct the first test of its kind in Israel of an autonomous bus on a public road.

Regarding the operation of autonomous taxis - we will wait for the start of the procedure...

And who is going to be hurt by the move?

Like any move that changes the world, here too there will be a number of sectors that will be affected. Here are some examples for illustration only…

• The taxi driving field will be the first to be affected when drivers are no longer needed.
• The automobile industry is also going to be affected or change to a significant extent, because the number of cars will decrease significantly (very much) and instead of a huge amount of cars, most of which are mostly parked, a very high quality of taxis will be required, which will contain control and control systems based on advanced technology.
• The operators of the paid parking lots will be harmed, when their services will no longer be needed.
• Companies that operate automatic barriers at the entrance to parking lots.