Model-based Evaluations Combining Autonomous Cars and a Large-scale Passenger Drone Service: The Bavarian Case Study

In this paper we present a decision support system for essential planning processes of innovative transportation systems. We enhance an existing transportation model to analyze how passenger drones and autonomous cars can interact optimally to enable mobility and reduce congestion. The resulting transportation model covers 70,550 square kilometers as well as 12.6 million citizens and extends passenger drone services beyond urban use cases. Building upon this customization, we first identify a set of potential intermodal vertihub locations for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). Second, a mathematical model is developed to decide at which locations vertihubs should be built to enable access to the new mode for a maximum number of citizens. Third, we connect the vertihubs through a fine-meshed flight route network using Delaunay triangulation. We finally apply the model to perform specific analyses concerning the interactions of these future modes of transport: With optimized vertihub locations and 30 min autonomous feeder service, more than 70% of the population could have access to passenger drones. Moreover, we perform sensitivity analyses for feeder time parameters and a possible substitution of public transport (PT) by drones. Finally, we identify a master vertihub location with a minimal flight distance to all other vertihubs.