University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
Feasibility of Enhancing the Safety, Environmental Benefits, and Cost-Effectiveness of New
York State’s Public Transit Services through Adoption of Autonomous Collision
Avoidance and Autonomous Emergency Braking Systems for Buses
PROPOSAL SUBMITTED TO THE
NEW YORK STATE ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
IN RESPONSE TO NYSERDA PON No. 3090
Integrated Mobility Solutions for Smarter Cities and Communities
Focus Area 4: Sustainable Transportation Alternatives
Funding Category 2: Research, Policy, and Feasibility Studies
Autonomous Emergency Braking Systems on a Bus
July 3, 2015
Submitted by: University Transportation Research Center (UTRC) with
Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering (PAVE), Princeton University
Camille Kamga, Ph.D., (Co-PI), Director of UTRC and Assistant Professor of Civil
Engineering, The City College of New York
Alain L. Kornhauser, Ph.D., F.ITE (Co-PI), Professor, Operations Research &
Financial Engineering; Director, Transportation Program; Faculty Chair,
Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, Princeton University
Jerome Lutin. Ph.D., PE, F.ITE, NJ TRANSIT (retired)
1
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
Executive Summary
Proposed Category: This proposal addresses Focus Area 4: Sustainable Transportation
Alternatives and is being submitted under Funding Category 2: Research, Policy, and Feasibility
Studies.
Team Members: A research team at the University Transportation Research Center (UTRC) and
the Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering (PAVE) at Princeton University in collaboration
with Dr. Jerome Lutin, formerly with NJ Transit, will conduct this project. The Principal
Investigator (PI) is Dr. Camille Kamga, Director of the University Transportation Research
Center. Dr. Alain L. Kornhauser will serve as Co-PI and is the Chair of Princeton Autonomous
Vehicle Engineering at Princeton University. Dr. Jerome Lutin will be Chief Research Engineer..
Graduate and undergraduate students pursuing degrees in Transportation Engineering and
Operations Research & Financial Engineering will aid the research team. Data and analytical
support will also be contributed, in kind, by members of the insurance industry, including
Munich Re, the world’s largest reinsurance company and the Washington State Transportation
Insurance Pool (WISTIP), a major insurer of small and medium sized public transit companies.
Background: Public transportation is very important in New York State. New York State transit
operators carry one-third of the nation’s transit riders per year and one-quarter of all transit
services in the nation are provided in New York State1.
Bus transportation is generally both efficient and safe. However, opportunities exist to make it
even more efficient and safer. In 2013, New York State’s transit buses were involved in 472
collisions that injured 1,914 individuals and resulted in 15 fatalities. New York transit operators
reported spending more than $136 million that year on casualty and liability expenses for buses
and paratransit. That amount is equivalent to the cost of nearly 800,000 hours of transit service.
Imagine the benefits that could be achieved if a portion of the money paid out in claims and
insurance premiums could be returned to better uses.
Objective and scope of Proposed Project: The goal of this feasibility study is to explore the
opportunities and challenges resulting from the adoption of autonomous collision avoidance and
autonomous emergency braking systems for buses in New York State in order to improve safety
and reduce the casualty and liability expenses of bus transit properties. The solution proposed is
the adoption of autonomous collision avoidance and autonomous emergency braking systems for
transit buses. The objective is to quantify the potential savings resulting from insurance claims,
casualty, and liability expenses incurred by New York State public transportation providers, to
determine the types of collisions that are responsible for the greatest share of injuries, fatalities
and claims, and recommend collision avoidance technology that could be adapted for use on
1
The Public Transportation Safety Board (PTSB) 2010 Annual Report;
https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/osss/ptsb
2
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
buses. Quantified will be the environmental benefits achieved by investing the savings expanded
and improved bus services.
This project will include: 1) A review and analysis of insurance claims, casualty and liability
expenses incurred by New York State public transportation providers to determine the types of
collisions that are responsible for the greatest share of injuries, fatalities and claims. 2) A review
of available collision avoidance technology that could be adapted for use on buses, 3)
Development of functional requirements and standards needed to insure that collision avoidance
systems and autonomous emergency braking will meet the specific needs of the bus industry, 4)
Convening a summit meeting for New York public transit agencies on the subject of autonomous
collision avoidance systems and autonomous emergency braking for buses, 5) Preparation of a
report and additional presentation materials that can be used by transit agencies seeking to
procure collision avoidance and autonomous emergency braking systems for buses and 6)
Identifying the improved bus transit services that could be funded with the savings and
quantifying the environmental and energy advantages of those services.
Project Benefits: A 2007 report by the American Public Transportation Association titled
“Public Transportation: Benefits for the 21st Century”2 documents the benefits offered by public
transportation. In this report, benefits of public transportation range from sustaining a strong
economy, reducing energy consumption, protecting the environment, improving air quality and
health, providing relief to congestion, providing critical support during emergencies and
disasters, to providing mobility to urban and rural communities. These benefits can be achieved
only with the assumption that transit systems are safe. Therefore, one cannot deny the
importance of making our transit buses safer. The adoption of autonomous collision avoidance
and autonomous emergency braking systems will not only make our transit buses safer, but, it
will also reduce the claims and insurance premiums paid by transit agencies, thereby provide
additional financial resources to transit agencies. Cost savings resulting from lower bus collision
rates can then be invested in other aspects of transit operations and maintenance. Over the three
year period 2011 to 2013, the New York State transit industry reported paying $403 million in
bus and casualty and liability expenses. Because that reporting does not include many other
costs of collisions, the actual cost may be significantly higher. For 2013 alone, the average cost
per vehicle for reported casualty and liability expenses for the 10,420 buses and paratransit
vehicles operated by New York State transit agencies amounted to $13,053.70 per vehicle.
Work by Lutin and Kornhauser, 3 showed that autonomous collision avoidance systems had the
potential to recover their installation costs in as little as one year in terms of claims reduction. It
2
Public Transportation: Benefits for the 21st Century (2007) American Public Transportation Association
http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/twenty_first_century.pdf
3
J. M. Lutin and A. L. Kornhauser, “Application of Autonomous Driving Technology to Transit - Functional Capabilities
for Safety and Capacity,” Paper Number 14-0207, 93rd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board,
January 15, 2014, Washington, D.C.
3
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
is clear that the potential savings to the State of New York could total in the $100’s of millions
as well as reducing thousands of injuries and hundreds of fatalities.
Background and Proposed Approach
The Problem
Public transit providers in New York State operate more than 10,000 buses and paratransit
vehicles throughout the State, serving nearly 1.1 billion trips annually. Bus service represents a
vital force connecting people with jobs, schools, health care, shopping and recreation. It is
integral to the economy and quality of life of the State. Public transit bus service reduces the
number of autos and congestion on the State’s streets and highways, conserves energy, and
reduces air pollution.
Although bus transit is one of the safest ways to travel, nationwide, in 2013 alone, bus transit
properties reported 4,075 collisions, 15,351 injuries, 119 fatalities, and $499,131,751 in casualty
and liability expenses. Over the ten-year period from 2004 through 2013, the bus transit industry
reported 1,006 fatalities, 153,285 injuries and a total of $4.81 billion in casualty and liability
expenses, which, as shown in the figure below, are trending higher.
The Washington State Transit Insurance Pool (WSTIP) collected data on the types of incidents
that produced bus insurance claims greater than $100,000 for Washington State and for transit
insurance pools in California and Ohio. They found that 74% of the losses were collisionrelated, 46% involved hitting pedestrians, bicycles, and motorcycles, 15% were forward
collisions with vehicles, 10% were what they termed “non-preventable,” such as side collision,
driver blackout, and 3% were classified as “other.”
The National Transit Database (NTD), established by Congress to be the Nation’s primary
source for information and statistics on the transit systems of the United States, contains crucial
4
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
statistics including safety data that reveal important trends about the transit industry. Transit
incidents reported in the Major Incident Reporting form can be placed into one of several
categories: (a) collision, (b) security incident, (c) derailment, (d) evacuation, (e) fire, (f) vehicle
leaving roadway, and (g) fatality/injury not otherwise classified. Yang (2007)4 analyzed the
reporting records and found that of the major bus collisions recorded in the NTD, frontal
collisions occurred most frequently, followed by back, angle, and sideswipes. He also found that
the major bus collisions that occurred in 2003 generated 11 more fatalities compared to 2002, an
overall increase of 14 percent.
For the past years, modern car safety systems, like forward collision detection have been
developed and deployed on passenger vehicles. This technology can help spot danger and warn
the driver. Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) goes one step further and can automatically
apply the brakes. The technology can potentially help lessen the impact of a crash, or in some
circumstances even prevent a collision from happening.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has called for immediate action to require
these systems on new vehicles. The NTSB reported that forward collisions were reduced by 71
percent for trucks equipped with collision avoidance systems (CAS) that included autonomous
emergency braking (AEB) and electronic stability control (ESC). That test spanned 30 months
and included 12,600 truck-tractors.
A Potential Solution
Given the recent advances in automotive
collision avoidance systems, their moderate
costs, and the increasing trend in bus casualty
and liability claims, the time is ripe to revisit
the application of collision avoidance
technology to transit buses. Because buses
typically can stay in service for 12 to 18 years
and often carry standees, their technology
requirements will differ from those for trucks and autos, and there has been little progress and no
financial incentive for bus manufacturers to initiate development of these systems.
Consequently, innovation in this area must come from within the bus transit industry.
In 2004 and 2007, the Federal Transit Administration released research reports on the potential
for technology to reduce bus crashes. These reports concluded that the systems envisioned at the
time, which would warn bus drivers of impending collisions, could be effective in reducing
4
Yang, C. Y. (2007) Trends in Transit Bus Accidents and Promising Collision Countermeasures; Journal of Public
Transportation, Vol. 10, No. 3.
5
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
costs. Although driver warnings can be effective, in the two-to-three seconds it takes to respond
to an imminent collision, a bus can travel as much as six times its own length before the brakes
are applied. Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) could reduce that delay to thousandths of a
second.
Due to rapid advances in automated driving technology, automobiles are now entering the
market with automated systems that not only sense that a collision is imminent, but actually take
control of throttle, steering and braking functions to avoid or mitigate collisions. In particular,
systems for autos are available that will initiate autonomous braking to bring a vehicle to a stop
prior to collision with a pedestrian or vehicle, even if the vehicle operator does not apply the
brakes manually.
In 2012 the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that drivers of Volvo XC60
SUVs equipped with the City Safety system (Volvo’s AEB system) filed 51 per cent fewer
claims for injury, 22 per cent fewer collision claims and 27 per cent fewer property damage
claims than drivers of other SUVs. Studies by various insurers show that the incidence of rearend collisions are reduced by around 30 per cent for cars fitted with lidar-based AEB systems.
Both the IIHS and the Europe New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) have started testing
AEB systems fitted to various production vehicles. While all AEB systems help to at least
minimize the speed at the time of impact, some systems work better than others.5
The Highway Loss Data Institute has concluded that forward collision avoidance technologies
have reduced claims. Collision Avoidance Systems for cars typically are bundled into optional
packages that may include:














5
Adaptive cruise control
Adaptive headlights
Autonomous emergency braking
Blind spot detection
Cross traffic alert/avoidance
Driver fatigue/inattention alert
Forward collision avoidance
Lane departure warning
Lane keeping assist
Parking assist
Pedestrian detection/avoidance
Rear collision warning/mitigation
Self-parking
Side impact detection
http://www.caradvice.com.au/293366/autonomous-emergency-braking-explained/
6
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
Optional packages vary in price, but most available multi-function packages cost less than a few
thousand dollars.
Purchasing buses for a transit authority is not a simple task. Buses are usually purchased under a
competitive procurement process in which an agency issues a request for proposals to bus
manufacturers that specifies what the agency wishes to buy. Bus manufacturers then submit
proposals that contain technical information on the buses they propose to supply along with the
prices for the buses and optional features. The agencies will evaluate each proposal and
generally will award a contract to the manufacturer that meets the agency’s technical
requirements and offers the lowest price.
Integral to the process is the need for the agency to develop a detailed specification for the
features it wants on the buses. Specifications range from the color scheme, to the type of engine
and fuel, to small details like the location of drain plugs. The American Public Transportation
Association (APTA) has developed guidelines for bus procurement that includes an outline that
agencies can use in their requests for proposals. The outline runs 284 pages long and includes
more than 300 alternatives for technical requirements from which an agency can choose.
The APTA guidelines contain extensive technical detail, but they do not include information on,
or specifications for, collision avoidance systems and autonomous emergency braking. This
project can provide a basis for development of specifications that will allow transit agencies
buying new buses to specify this life-saving technology.
We propose to conduct a research assessment of why casualty and liability claims are increasing
and determine the potential for automated collision avoidance systems to reduce fatalities,
injuries and claims in transit buses and to initiate the development of functional requirements and
standards to allow installation of collision avoidance and driver assist technology on new transit
buses and retrofit of existing buses. Generating cost savings from insurance claims would
provide funds that can be reinvested into the services, reduce delays, make bus services more
reliable and increase customer satisfaction, thereby reducing use of private automobiles,
reducing fuel consumption and congestion.
Statement of Work and Schedule
Research Approach
The research approach will include literature review on collision and injuries, review and
analysis of insurance claims, data collection of inventory of transit buses used by transit
properties in New York State, review of available collision avoidance technology, development
of functional requirements and standards needed to insure that collision avoidance systems and
autonomous emergency braking will meet the specific needs of the bus industry, convene a
7
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
workshop for New York public transit agencies on the topics, and develop a document as a
roadmap for deployment of these technologies. The research will be divided into the following
tasks.
Research Tasks
Task 1: Project Manaegment
Subtask 1.1 Subcontracts. The Contractor shall enter into the following agreements
with Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering (PAVE). A sub-agreement will be
issued by the Research of Foundation of CUNY to PAVE for their involvement in the
project.
Subtask 1.2 Meetings: The Contractor shall hold a Kick-Off Meeting; Interim Review
Meetings to review progress to date, discuss difficulties encountered and proposed
solutions for overcoming them, and to outline then-current plans for completing the
scope of work; and a Wrap-Up Meeting at the end of the project.
Subtask 1.3 Progress Reports: The Contractor shall provide NYSERDA and NYSDOT
written progress reports each quarter. These reports shall describe any difficulties
encountered and the cost of the work performed during the reporting period.
Subtask 1.4 Data Collection and Benefit Reporting: The Contractor shall provide
NYSERDA two brief annual updates on the effectiveness of the information
dissemination (e.g. conference presentations, workshops, publications, citations, etc.).
Subtask 1.5 Final Report: The Contractor shall provide a final report detailing all
project findings. The Contractor shall make this report available via its Web site and may
take other steps (e.g., briefings for relevant agencies, elected officials, and the media) to
make these findings more generally available.
Task 2: Analysis of Collisions and Claims
This task will include an in-depth analysis of bus collisions and the resulting claims that were
generated due to fatalities, injuries, and property damage. The goal is to determine those types
of collisions that result in the most severe injuries and claims and quantify the parameters of
those collisions, such as velocity, angle, etc. and use this information as the basis for
development of functional requirements and standards for autonomous bus collision avoidance
systems.
Subtask 2.1: Literature Review. The literature review will include assembling not only
relevant scholarly publications on collisions and injuries, but will include information on
actuarial analysis methodology for casualty and liability claims to establish risk factors
8
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
and also will include data sources for collisions and highway-related injuries and
fatalities.
Subtask 2.2: Risk Management Technical Working Group. This subtask will
establish an expert technical working group of transit safety and risk management
specialists and insurance industry actuarial specialists who will serve as a review and
oversight panel for the project team. The research team anticipates to invite members of
the NYSDOT’s Public Transportation Safety Board (PTSB) to participate in this advisory
committee. The PTSB was created in 1984 and is statutorily responsible for the safety
oversight of all public transportation systems operating in New York State that receive
State Transit Operating Assistance (STOA). Its mission is to reduce the number, rate and
severity of public transportation accidents. In addition, the research team will engage the
New York Public Transit Association (NYPTA) and APTA in the advisory committee.
Subtask 2.3: Data Collection Template and Sampling. This subtask will develop the
protocols for data collection, sample size determination, and statistical validation.
Subtask 2.4: Data Collection. Data will be collected from transit agencies and the
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) National Transit Database (NTD). Data collection
will include tracking specific collisions through time until claims resolution. Data also
will be collected to track transit agency costs attributed to a specific collision that may
not have been included in the claims.
Subtask 2.5: Collision and Claims Data Analysis and Report Preparation. This task
will include analysis of the data, preparation of technical memoranda to document each
of the above subtasks, and a draft report that documents the analysis and findings. The
draft report will be submitted for review and comment to the Risk Management
Technical Working Group established in Subtask 2.2 above. The methodology will be
documented in sufficient detail to enable other researchers to duplicate the results of this
study.
Task 2: Deliverable: The Contractor will prepare a literature review report and a
technical memorandum documenting the data analysis performed. The report will include
all the review findings.
Task 3: Development of Functional Requirements and Certification Procedures
This task will perform the research necessary to develop functional requirements and standards
to allow the public sector transit operators to specify and procure autonomous bus collision
avoidance systems for new buses and for retrofits. This will provide the needed guidance that
will allow private sector bus manufacturers and systems developers to create innovative lifesaving technologies.
9
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
Subtask 3.1: Standards Technical Working Group. This task will establish an expert
technical working group of transit operations and maintenance personnel and vehicle
engineering and procurement staff with experience in transit bus procurement and
maintenance.
Subtask 3.2: Literature Review. In addition to the standard literature review, this task
will also review existing standards developed for autonomous collision avoidance
systems for autos, trucks and other vehicles by both domestic and international standards
bodies including but not limited to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE International).
Subtask 3.3: Functional Requirements. This task will include development of draft
functional requirements that will include sections on the following areas:




Human factors – bus operator/autonomous system interactions and allowable
forces on bus passengers
Sensor capabilities – detection sensitivity, range and coverage – pedestrians,
bicycles, vehicles, stationary objects, under various lighting and environmental
conditions
Sensor and system location, networking, and power requirements, maintenance,
reliability, component interoperability, and latency of response
Bus braking system performance parameters and tolerances, and actuation
interface characteristics and requirements
Subtask 3.4: Certification Procedures and Cost Estimating. Based on the functional
requirements developed in Subtask 3.3 this task will develop a set of procedures that
would be used to test and certify autonomous bus collision avoidance systems for use by
transit agencies. This subtask also will develop estimates of the time and cost to
implement the testing and certification process.
Subtask 3.5: Functional Analysis and Draft Report Preparation. This task will
include analysis of the data, preparation of technical memoranda to document the
literature review and the functional requirements developed in subtasks above, and a draft
report that documents the analysis and findings. The draft report will include
recommendations to guide transit agencies in procuring autonomous bus collision
avoidance systems. The draft report will be submitted for review and comment to the
Standards Technical Working Group established in Subtask 3.1 above.
Task 3: Deliverable: The Contractor expects to provide a technical memorandum to
document the functional requirements and recommendations.
10
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
Task 4: Identifying the improved bus transit and quantifying their environmental and
energy advantages.
Not only does improved safety provide fundamental value to society through the reduction of
injuries and deaths, but in the case of crash avoidance, it also saves a substantial amount of
money that is spent to fix what the crash broke. Eliminating the crash, saves the money. Those
monies can then be used to “low hanging fruit” opportunities to improve transit services. In this
way society gains again through mobility that improves quality-of-life and the enviroment and
energy through mode shift from auto trips to transit trips.
Subtask 4.1: Identify “low hanging fruit” bus transit opportunities. This task will
search the literature for the existing best opportunities to improve transit services that
have identified both the cost of those services and their environmental and energy
impacts
Subtask 4.2: Create a transit investment plan for the use of the liability savings This
task will use the findings of Task 4.1 and the expected liability savings from the
deployment of automated collision avoidance systems to develop a transit improvement
plan that would use those savings to provide the greatest environmental and energy
improvement for the State of New York.
Task 5: Summit Meeting for New York Public Transit Association on Autonomous Bus
Collision Avoidance Systems.
As stated in the background section, New York State transit bus collisions in 2013 injured 1,900
people and resulted in 15 fatalities. Over the three year period 2011 to 2013, the New York
State transit industry reported paying $403 million in bus and casualty and liability expenses.
Because that reporting does not include many other costs of collisions, the actual cost may be
significantly higher. The cost in lives and scarce funds of bus collisions of this magnitude
warrants serious attention from the transit industry. For this reason, at the conclusion of Tasks 3
and 4, we propose to host a summit meeting of New York State transit technical staff and
executives to present our findings and create an action plan for the future.
Subtask 5.1: Meeting Logistics. This subtask includes developing the program and
materials, determining the date and location, identifying the participants and other
activities necessary for a successful workshop.
Subtask 5.2: Draft Proceedings and Recommendations. This subtask includes
preparation of transcripts and video recording of the meeting and preparation of the
proceedings.
Task 5 Deliverable: The Contractor will a memorandum to document the proceedings of
the workshop.
11
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
Task 6: Final Report and Webinar
This task includes preparation of the final report, which includes the technical memoranda
revised in response to comments by each of the two expert technical working groups, the
conference proceedings, and a one-hour recorded webinar and Power Point presentation
summarizing the project.
Subtask 6.1: Final Report. The final report will document all the activities, analysis,
findings, and recommendations of the project.
Subtask 6.2: Power Point presentation and Webinar. The research team believes that
a power point presentation and webinar will provide efficient tools for outreach and
dissemination of the findings of the research to transit agencies and will help for a faster
understanding and potential adoption of these technologies.
Research Deliverables
The Contractor will provide written reports throughout the research. The reports will be
synchronized with the research task schedule. The written deliverables are outlined at the end of
each task above, including:






quarterly reports indicating research progress
literature review
technical memorandum of functional requirements and recommendations
proceedings of the workshop with transit agencies
final report documenting all the activities and findings of the project
a power point presentation and webinar summarizing the project
Proposal Schedule [ ALAIN TO WRITE THIS]
The following schedule details the timeline for completing this 18-month project. The timeline
does not identify a starting date.
Proposer Qualifications
Dr. Camille Kamga
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
Dr. Camille Kamga, will serve as the Principal Investigator of the proposed project. He is
currently the director of the federally supported University Transportation Research Center
12
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
(UTRC) and an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the City College of New York
(CCNY). A consortium of 19 major U.S. academic institutions, UTRC asserts a significant role
in the region and nationally, conducting research and projects on surface transportation, carrying
out training and educational programs and actively disseminating the results of its work. It is one
of the few such centers in the U.S. with a concentration in public transportation operations,
policy and management. Dr. Kamga oversees the Center activities and works closely with
federal, regional and state transportation planning and policy organizations. He also serves as
member of the Board of Directors of the Intelligent Transportation Society of NY - a
professional group providing education and outreach to foster the understanding of ITS
applications and technologies. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the Graduate Center
of the City University of New York, specializing in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). He
is the 2006 recipient of the National Pikarsky Award for Outstanding Dissertation in Science and
Technology from the Council of University Transportation Center. His doctoral thesis was on
the topic of “Estimation of Network Based Incident Delay in a Transportation Network Using
Dynamic Traffic Assignment.” In addition to his research and administrative duties, Dr. Kamga
has participated and is currently participating in numerous transportation-related projects at
UTRC. Dr. Kamga’s research interests are in the modeling and of transportation network,
analysis of very large transportation networks, and application of technology for transportation.
Dr. Kamga is currently the principal investigator of many research projects sponsored by the
New York State Department of Transportation, New York Metropolitan Transportation Council,
New York State Energy and Research Development Authority, New Jersey Department of
Transportation, and New York City Transit.
Dr. Alain Kornhauser
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)Alain L. Kornhauser serves as Professor of Operations
Research and Financial Engineering at Princeton University where he has taught and conducted
research since 1972. He serves as Director of the Princeton Transportation Program and Faculty
Chair of Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering (PAVE). Dr. Kornhauser is internationally
known for his pioneering research in autonomous transit systems and large scale transportation
network analysis. In 1979 Dr. Kornhauser founded ALK Technologies which grew into a multinational firm known for its award-winning ALK CoPilot system for turn-by-turn navigation. He
sold ALK to Trimble Navigation in December 2012. He was the Faculty Leader of Princeton’s
entries in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge and 2007 Urban Challenge races for autonomous
vehicles. Dr. Kornhauser holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Aerospace
Engineering from Penn State University where he was awarded the ASME Melville medal, and a
PhD in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering from Princeton University.
13
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
Dr. Jerome Lutin
Chief Research EngineerJerome M. Lutin is retired from positions as Distinguished Research
Professor at New Jersey Institute of Technology and as Senior Director of Statewide and
Regional Planning at New Jersey Transit. Dr. Lutin has 49 years of professional experience in
transportation. At NJ TRANSIT, he also served as Senior Director of Planning Research and
Development. In that position he was responsible for the agency’s pilot projects of new
technologies. Dr. Lutin is a Fellow of the Institute of Transportation Engineers. He has been
actively involved in the development of ITS standards for the transit industry and teaches a
course on standards for the National Transit Institute. He has written and lectured extensively on
the subject of autonomous vehicles and implications for the transit industry. Dr. Lutin holds a
Bachelor of Arts from Trinity College, a Master of Architecture and Urban Planning and PhD in
Urban Planning both from Princeton University where he was awarded the American Institute of
Architects Gold Medal for Academic Excellence. He is a licensed professional engineer and a
certified planner.
Project Benefits
The primary objective of the research is to explore the opportunities and challenges resulting
from the adoption of autonomous collision avoidance and autonomous emergency braking
systems for buses in New York State in order to improve safety and reduce the casualty and
liability expenses of bus transit properties. However, in the process of preparing the tools to
quantify the potential benefits and develop the functional requirements of the AES for transit
buses, other direct and indirect outputs will be produced to enhance the understanding of the
technologies. These products by themselves could have significant immediate and long-term
benefits. The information identified below can potentially be used in other studies,
policymaking, pricing, investment decisions, change operation patterns, and others.


Comprehensive analysis of collisions on transit buses: There is very little documented
information in the literature related to collision of transit buses. This project will provide an
extensive analysis of collisions on transit buses by reviewing data from both the NTD and the
insurance claims database. This analysis will identify the rate of occurrence of each type of
collisions, the situational circumstances of their occurrences (weather, road conditions, etc.),
and the related costs.
Development of functional requirements and standard procedures: One cannot
understate the importance of assembling an expert panel on transit bus procurement,
operations, and maintenance to recommend the safety specifications for next generation of
transit buses. This project will develop the functional requirements and standard procedures
14
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090






for deploying AES to transit buses and provide the potential estimate cost savings that the
system may generate for bus transit operators in New York.
Establishment of new safety rules and regulations for transit buses: This project will
provide the framework toward recommending the establishment of new safety legislation,
rules and regulations, and transportation system procedures based on the analysis of the
collisions.
Safety of transit buses: The adoption of AES for transit buses has great potential to reduce
bus collisions and therefore improve safety of transit buses. As a result, injuries, fatalities,
and the overall operating cost of transit agencies will decrease.
Cost savings: This project will identify some cost savings generating from claims and
insurance premiums. The financial savings from fewer bus accidents can then be invested in
other aspects of transit operations and maintenance.
Confidence of transit operators: Transit operators could have more confidence and less
stress driving large vehicles in and around congested environments and narrow lanes.
Availability of workforce: With fewer collisions, workforce can be directed to other needs
instead of be assigned to tasks related with accidents.
Increase reliability and perception of transit: With fewer collisions, bus transit services
will improve its reliability and this will positively impact the public’s perception of bus
transit services, thus promoting the bus transit’s image and growth.
Path to Market Acceptance (one page). [TO BE EDITED BY ALAIN]
Provide evidence that relevant stakeholders are interested in the technology being investigated.
Explain how they would benefit from the technology being widely introduced in New York State
and why they would be likely to favor that adoption over alternatives. Describe the barriers
standing in the way of broad acceptance of the technology being studied and explain how the
project will educate stakeholders about ways to avoid or break down these barriers. Characterize
a plausible path to broader adoption of the technology, including a description of the resources
and stakeholders that must be engaged to accomplish this.
[ IDEAS PROPOSED BY JERRY]The entire research plan is designed to develop products that
will allow new technology, autonomous collision avoidance systems for buses, to be developed
quickly and safely in an environment that will encourage competition and innovation. It will
develop functional requirements, standards and specifications that will meet the needs of transit
operators.
Development of standards for collision avoidance technology for buses has not yet been
addressed by the industry. We seek to address the rapid development (and potential rapid rate of
obsolescence) of the technology. According to FTA, the minimum expected life of a transit bus
15
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
is 12 years although buses can typically remain in service for 15 to 18 years. Digital technology,
however, typically becomes obsolete within months or a few years at most.
Bus manufacturers with whom we have spoken tell us that they function as systems integrators
and will install whatever is required by a transit agency. However, most transit agencies do not
have the in-house experience or expertise to provide specifications to manufacturers for
autonomous collision avoidance systems and autonomous emergency braking. The transit bus
industry is a “niche market” which does not make it financially viable for bus manufacturers to
engage in extensive research and development. Proprietary collision avoidance systems acquired
with a new bus would likely prove difficult to support with replacement parts and software
during the life of the bus.
Some bus manufacturers indicated they are working on offering collision avoidance systems
provided by others, primarily systems to warn pedestrians that a bus is turning, or to warn the
operator of an imminent collision. None has said they are working on autonomous emergency
braking
This project will provide the necessary functional requirements and specifications that a transit
agency can incorporate in procurement documents for new bus purchases, and for retrofitting
existing buses. Standards and functional specifications that address performance,
electromechanical interfaces, networking, and sensor locations, would allow maintenance and
change-out of components to require less time and expense. Such standards also allow more
vendors to enter the market which can stimulate innovation and help reduce costs.
Recent NYSDOT/NYSERDA Awards
Dr. Camille Kamga, is currently the Principal Investigator on three funded projects by
NYSERDA and NYSDOT titled:



Implementing Eco-Driving in New York State: Opportunities and Challenges
Hunts Point Terminal Market: The Feasibility of Waterborne Transportation as a Part of
the Distribution System
Reducing Incident-Induced Emissions and Energy Use in Transportation: Use of Social
Media Feeds as an Incident Management Support Tool
He was a Co-PI on the project “Freight Tricycle Operations in NYC: Evaluating Efficiency and
Emissions Benefits for Last Mile Delivery” funded in 2012. He has received funding in 2013 to
conduct a symposium titled “The use of small sized mobility solutions as a cleaner mobility
option: the last mile problem” under the Education and Technology Transfer program. He was
the principal investigator on two successfully completed projects funded by both NYSERDA and
NYSDOT. The first on “Eliminating Trucks on Roosevelt Island for the Collection of
16
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
Recyclables and Commercial Waste While Significantly Improving Energy Efficiency and
Reducing Land Requirements” and the second project on “Underground Pneumatic Transport of
Municipal Solid Waste and Recyclables Using New York City Subway Infrastructure” with
Robert Ancar (NYSDOT) and Joseph Tario (NYSERDA) as project managers.
Neither Dr. Kornhauser and Dr. Lutin were awarded an award by NYSDOT and NYSERDA in
the past five years.
Budget
17
Appendices
N.Y. / Region
Lincoln Tunnel Bus Collision Injures at Least 31, Snarling Traffic
By EMMA G. FITZSIMMONS JUNE 10, 2015
Emergency workers placed injured commuters on stretchers after two buses
collided in the Lincoln Tunnel. Credit Michael Appleton for The New York Times
In the end, the crash turned out to be not too serious — a bus ran into the back of another bus. No one was seriously
injured. But it was the timing and, more significantly, the location of the accident that quickly elevated it into a
much bigger deal.
It happened inside the Lincoln Tunnel at the tail end of rush hour on Wednesday morning, and before too long the
delicate dance that keeps people flowing into New York City each day quickly unraveled.
Bus passengers were wheeled out of the tunnel on stretchers. A pregnant woman stuck in traffic went into labor and
was rushed to a hospital. And many drivers and passengers were trapped inside the tunnel, turning their commute
into an hourslong odyssey that upended their days.
The mess left some wondering what would happen to traffic if a worse crash occurred.
“It doesn’t seem like there is any good way to get out of that place if it was something more serious,” said Dan
Marcus, 22, of Wayne, N.J., who was stuck on a bus in the tunnel behind the crash.
……
The two buses were traveling in the same lane as they neared the Manhattan side of the tunnel, and Mr. Chung’s bus
did not stop in time to avoid hitting the bus ahead, he said.
All told, 31 people were injured, most of them on the New Jersey Transit bus, officials said. All 31 were in stable
condition and most were able to walk away from the crash. Four people who were carried out on stretchers had back
or neck injuries, but no broken bones.
On another New Jersey Transit bus, stuck behind the crash, a 32-year-old pregnant woman began to have
contractions. Emergency officials stayed with her until they were able to transport her to a hospital, Capt. Richard
Gutch, of the Port Authority Police Department, said. There was another pregnant woman on the same bus, but she
refused medical treatment.
University Transportation Research Center & Princeton Autonomous Vehicle Engineering, July 3, 2015
Proposal in response to NYSERDA PON3090
Appendix A.Resumes
19