Large mobility gaps exist between people with and without disabilities. People with special needs are heavily dependent upon public transportation for their essential needs. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have the potential to increase mobility for these populations. However, they have been largely absent from AV perception research. To fill this gap, we analyzed their perceptions, willingness to use, and concerns over autonomous public transit (APT) based on an on-board intercept survey of 1861 current bus riders in Michigan, with 40% having some type of special needs. We found significant differences among different special needs groups. While respondents who were visually impaired, mobility restricted, or with multiple accommodation needs were more likely to rely on public transit than those without any special needs, their willingness to use APT varied. Respondents with visual impairment were more likely, but riders with mobility disabilities were less likely to be willing to use APT. In addition, our survey results suggest that respondents with special needs perceive AVs primarily negatively. This was especially true for mobility-restricted groups. Furthermore, there were differences in bus riders’ reasons not to use APT. Compared to respondents without special needs, those with multiple accommodation needs hold concerns over APT’s safety more, while respondents with mobility disabilities were more likely to distrust AV technology. This study advances our understanding of different special needs populations’ perception and acceptance of APT, providing support to policymakers in developing inclusive policies and practices that would bring the promised benefits of AVs to these populations.

残疾人和非残疾人之间存在巨大的流动性差距。有特殊需要的人严重依赖公共交通来满足他们的基本需求。自动驾驶汽车 (AV) 有可能增加这些人群的流动性。然而，它们在 AV 感知研究中基本上是缺席的。为了填补这一空白，我们根据对密歇根州 1861 名当前公交车乘客的车载拦截调查分析了他们的看法、使用意愿和对自动公共交通 (APT) 的担忧，其中 40% 有某种类型的特殊需求。我们发现不同特殊需求群体之间存在显着差异。虽然视力受损、行动不便或有多种住宿需求的受访者比没有任何特殊需求的受访者更可能依赖公共交通，他们使用 APT 的意愿各不相同。有视力障碍的受访者更有可能，但行动不便的骑手不太可能愿意使用 APT。此外，我们的调查结果表明，有特殊需求的受访者主要对自动驾驶持负面看法。对于行动不便的群体尤其如此。此外，公交车乘客不使用 APT 的原因也存在差异。与没有特殊需求的受访者相比，有多种住宿需求的受访者更担心 APT 的安全性，而行动不便的受访者更可能不信任 AV 技术。这项研究增进了我们对不同特殊需求人群对 APT 的认知和接受的理解，