Connected and Autonomous Transit Vehicles

More and more research suggesting that complete automation is a pipe dream, and CAV are going to need special guideway--this makes CAV a great match for transit, specifically for line-haul transit. Especially so for BRT, which already has 50%+exclusive guideway. I know UTA is getting in CAV, but only in the context of first/last mile functions, as 'driverless shuttles' running on educational/corporate/medical campuses. But I think it's worth considering an automated shuttle for line-haul service. I'd like to propose travel demand modeling (MAG-WFRC model) to determine how good a line-haul transit CAV might be. Do some scenarios with tripled headway and the like. I think it could be done pretty simply, by playing with model coefficients. A transit CAV could break the link between labor costs and headway that limits the frequency UTA can provide services, a potentially transformative outcome. Ideally, I could piggy-back on an existing EA, AA, or EIS, (such as the proposed Taylorsville or Bountiful BRTs), using already prepared model data, and adding another alternative. Alternately, the use of connected and automated transit vehicles (CATV) could be explored in a 'shuttle' function, such as connecting Sandy Civic Center Trax with the Ebay FrontRunner, (Project 32b in the RTP) or connecting said FrontRunner station with the Phase 3 Blue line Trax Extension at Highland and I-15, via the Prison site. (Project 34b).