ATSSA Signal Jan/Feb 2019

The Signal | Jan/Feb 2019 25 Member Company & Agency News been active in preparing local highways and roads to support CAV technology. The Colorado Department of Transpor- tation (CDOT) recently completed work- ing with the Panasonic Corporation of North America on a pilot program that has been recognized as one of the “larg- est shared investments” related to V2X technology in the United States. CDOT and Panasonic installed six V2X vehicle onboard units, five V2X roadside units, and a Network Operations Cen- ter, to monitor and manage the entire system. “Car manufacturers worldwide are pre- paring for the future, so we must be prepared as well,” said CDOT’s Chief of Advanced Mobility Amy Ford. “Toyota will be rolling out V2X-equipped vehi- cles in 2021 and others soon after.” CDOT plans to install 100 roadside units along the state’s major highway (I-70) to advance its V2X system that will pro- vide real-time information to motorists about incidents such as crashes, delays, and weather conditions, through auto- matic and continual communication be- tween roadside infrastructure and vehicles. “Colorado is a global leader in creating an environment where V2X technology can thrive,” said Jarrett Wendt, execu- tive vice president at Panasonic Corpo- ration of North America. “Its openness to deploying new technologies in a real- world setting is an exciting and innova- tive approach and allows it to attract top industry talent and private invest- ment to the state. And most important- ly, deliver on its mission to improve the safety of Colorado roadways.” In addition to Colorado, the state of Ohio has initiated its “Smart Columbus program Connected Vehicle Environ- ment project.” The project focuses on infrastructure and data applications. The city plans to deploy CAV Onboard Units (OBU) on 1,800 vehicles along with 113 Roadside Units (RSUs) at signalized locations. Data applications entail Photo courtesy of HERE Technologies. While the U.S. DOT has emerged as one of the leaders in the policymaking and national conversation related to reaching full highway automation, state departments of transportation (DOTs) have been active in preparing local highways and roads to support CAV technology.