Transit Agency Perspectives on Bus Transit Automation Technologies in Rural, Small-Urban, and Urban U.S. Communities: A Pre-Pandemic National Baseline

Ranjit Godavarthy, Jill Hough · 2026 · Future Transportation

Summary. A national survey of 258 U.S. transit agencies reveals sharp differences in automation technology awareness and adoption readiness across rural, small-urban, and urban communities. Rural agencies show much lower familiarity with automation standards and face distinct barriers including state procurement rules, infrastructure gaps, and passengers needing personalized support. All agencies prioritize safety and favor near-term adoption of collision avoidance and lane-keeping systems, while viewing fully automated vehicles as requiring onboard operators for customer service and monitoring.

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@article{godavarthy-2026-transit-agency-perspectives-bus-transit,
  title   = {Transit Agency Perspectives on Bus Transit Automation Technologies in Rural, Small-Urban, and Urban U.S. Communities: A Pre-Pandemic National Baseline},
  author  = {Ranjit Godavarthy and Jill Hough},
  journal = {Future Transportation},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.3390/futuretransp6050195},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.3390/futuretransp6050195}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Transit Agency Perspectives on Bus Transit Automation Technologies in Rural, Small-Urban, and Urban U.S. Communities: A Pre-Pandemic National Baseline
AU  - Ranjit Godavarthy
AU  - Jill Hough
JO  - Future Transportation
PY  - 2026
DO  - 10.3390/futuretransp6050195
UR  - https://doi.org/10.3390/futuretransp6050195
ER  - 

Details

DOI

10.3390/futuretransp6050195

Countries

United States

Regions

North America

Categories

transportation, regional-innovation-systems, policy, general-innovation

Added

2026-10-01