Asmussen Awarded for Research on Automated Vehicle Consumer Acceptance
Katherine Asmussen, research assistant professor with UT-ORII’s Transportation Convergent Research Initiative and the Center for Transportation Research, has received an award for her project, “Consumer Acceptance of Automated Vehicles: Evidence from a Newly Deployed U.S. Survey and Stated-Preference Experiment”.
This research aims to provide evidence-based insights to help cities and agencies prepare for the integration of automated mobility services by improving access, safety, and system performance. As services like Waymo move toward real-world deployment, the project investigates how robotaxis will impact daily routines—whether they replace private vehicles, complement public transit, or generate new travel demand.
Working alongside CTR affiliated faculty member Hongyu Zheng, Asmussen is deploying a custom survey to collect data on:
- Current travel behavior and attitudes toward automation.
- Safety perceptions, trust, and willingness to use robotaxi services.
- Scenario-based choices between driving, public transit, and robotaxis under varying costs and wait times.
The project will use advanced behavioral modeling to generate realistic forecasts. These insights will inform future transportation planning, infrastructure investment, congestion management, and equity considerations.