The US Department of Transportation’s Connected Vehicles Program is well underway, and related activities are occurring in multiple locations by varying private companies and public agencies. Connected vehicle research is a multimodal initiative that aims to enable safe, interoperable networked wireless communications among vehicles, the infrastructure, and passengers’ personal communications devices. More information on the USDOT’s Connected Vehicle Research can be found at: http://www.its.dot.gov/connected_vehicle/connected_vehicle_tech.htm
Connected and Automated Vehicles
The Eastern Transportation Coalition hosted a conference in June 2016 on connected and automated vehicles – specifically designed to support public agencies in addressing and accelerating the security, safety and operational issues related to the new connected/automated vehicle technologies within their jurisdictions and in coordination with neighboring jurisdictions. The goal was to illuminate and begin a discussion on how these vehicles will impact the Coalition members and what actions can be taken to mitigate risk and maximize benefits.
Below are the presentations from the Coalitions conference, presentations are linked in the presentation titles, simply click the link to view the presentation:
- Dr. Trish Hendren, I-95 Corridor Coalition, Moderator
- “FHWA Connected & Automated Vehicle Research,” Dr. Gene McHale, FHWA
- “AASHTO CV Working Group,” Dr. Gummada Murthy, AASHTO
- “Overview of Current Pooled Fund Studies,” Melissa Lance, Virginia DOT
- “Overview of Connected and Automated Vehicles FHWA – Connected Vehicles Pilots (Tampa, New York City, & Wyoming), Smart Cities and the FAST Act,” Egan Smith, FHWA ITS JPO
- “Homeland Security Opportunities and Threats,” Dr. Mitch Erickson, USDHS, Science and Technology Directorate
- “Connected and Automated Vehicles — Transportation is in for a Big Transformation,” Adam Jonas, Morgan Stanley
- “Virginia’s CV-AV Program,” Dean Gustafson, Virginia DOT
- “Pennsylvania’s Program,” Mark Kopko, PennDOT
- “Key Freight Issues,” Mike Roeth, North American Council for Freight Efficiency
- “Key System/Communications Issues,” Dr. Larry Head, University of Arizona
- “Update from TRB: Setting the CAV Stage,” Dr. Katherine Kortum, TRB
- “Impacts of the Ride-Sharing Economy,” Dr. Elliot Martin, University of California, Berkeley
- “AAMVA – Motor Vehicle Agency Issues and Perspectives,” Ian Grossman, American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators
- “Assessing the Effectiveness of Crash Avoidance Features – the Building Blocks for an Intelligent Transportation System,” David Zuby, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
- “Auto Manufacturers Perspective,” Jonathan Weinberger, Esq., Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
- “The Coming Transit Revolution,” Dr. Jerry Lutin, NJ Transit (Ret.)
- “What States Need to Do upon Return to their Agencies,” Josh Johnson, Southwest Research Institute
- Wrap-Up Discussion – What’s Next, Dr. Trish Hendren, I-95 Corridor Coalition
For the full agenda, visit the news article or view the Conference Packet (pdf).
State Departments of Transportation are evaluating their roles and opportunities within the Connected Vehicles Program, and each is at a different level of involvement. The Eastern Transportation Coalition recently conducted a survey of member agencies to determine the connected and autonomous vehicle activities within the corridor. The survey results can be found here.
Connected Vehicles 101 Course Now Online
The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) has released a new online course that gives the basics of Connected Vehicle Technology. The course is free and can be found at http://www.citeconsortium.org/course/connected-vehicles-101/.
This introductory course targets transportation planners, managers, and engineers at state and local agency levels, who are interested in learning more about the Connected Vehicle Program and its benefits and implications for public agencies. Participants will learn about the safety, mobility and environmental applications envisioned for the connected vehicle environment.
Students will also gain an overview of the infrastructure requirements being developed, including communication standards, and operations and maintenance implications, and upcoming policy decisions. Lastly, they will be made aware of recent activities being supported by the ITS Joint Program Office and how they too can become involved by considering how vehicle to infrastructure communications and applications could be used to solve their problems.
The connected vehicle research being sponsored by U.S. DOT which is moving from Connected Vehicle Research to Reality. The connected vehicle concept leverages the potentially transformative capabilities of wireless technology to make surface transportation safer, smarter and greener. Connected vehicles will ultimately enhance the mobility and quality of life of all Americans, while helping to reduce the environmental impact of surface transportation.
The course is offered in cooperation with the Consortium of ITS Education and Training.
Upon completion of the course, participants will understand:
- What is meant by “connected” vehicles?
- What are the terms/jargon related to connected vehicles?
- What technology is used for connected vehicles?
- Which applications are available for connected vehicles? What is the pertinent USDOT research related to connected vehicles, including applications and technologies?
- What issues may you face in preparing for connected vehicle implementation?
- How can you become or stay involved?