ATSSA Signal Jan/Feb 2019

American Traffic Safety Services Association 28 deploying Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle- to-Infrastructure (V2I), and V2I mobility applications as well as capturing, relat- ing, storing, and responding to data gath- ered from infrastructure for use in traffic management applications. In Florida, the Tampa Connected Vehi- cle Pilot program aims to enhance the city’s mobility, safety, and environment by enabling roadway infrastructure to communicate with handheld devices and vehicles. RSUs are being installed in the city’s downtown area that will communicate with CAVs and Tampa’s Transportation Management Center via Dedicated Short-Range Communica- tions (DSRC). OBUs will be installed in vehicles and display safety messages on rearview mirrors. The Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) has partnered with HERE Tech- nologies to create a high-definition dig- ital map of portions of two major highways. “Working with HERE North America, we’ve spent the last few years getting a high-definition digital mapping struc- ture in place,” IDOT’s Automated Vehi- cle (AV) Technologies Project Manager Donna Matulac said. “Now we’re test- ing the data using a hands-free mobile app developed by HERE. This public pi- lot project included about 400 partici- pants who used the app regularly over a five-week period and provided feed- back on the usefulness and accuracy of the data.” The first phase of the project involved providing the data to motorists, and during the second phase of the project IDOT tested that data. The final compo- nent of the projects involved running a CAV along pre-selected routes, which IDOT tests this year. “Many vehicles on the road already have in-dash navigation systems. We’re look- ing at how our data can be integrated into these existing systems to provide real-time information on things like work zones and incidents that might disrupt traffic,” Matulac said. “We’re still getting the information to the driver, but we’re doing it through the vehicle’s built-in systems.” These state projects are ongoing and becoming more common. Federal proj- ects and studies such as the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) study, “Employment Impacts of Highway Infra- structure Investment,” and a number of National Cooperative Highway Re- search Program (NCHRP) studies being conducted by the Transportation Re- search Board also look at this topic. Spe- cifically, NCHRP 20-102 focuses on the impacts of CAVs on state and local trans- portation agencies. “There is a large-scale effort to prepare U.S. infrastructure and roadway devic- es for highway automation. ATSSA is committed to ensuring roadway safety is a main priority as technology advanc- es and that its members continue to contribute to the transition to a fully autonomous vehicle fleet,” ATSSA Di- rector of New Programs Brian Watson said. “The association will continue to monitor the advancements that are be- ing made and provide that information to s takeholders and association members.” Member Company & Agency News State projects are ongoing and becoming more common. Federal projects and studies such as the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) study, “Employment Impacts of Highway Infrastructure Investment,” and a number of National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) studies being conducted by the Transportation Research Board also look at this topic. Specifically, NCHRP 20-102 focuses on the impacts of CAVs on state and local transportation agencies. Photo courtesy of HERE Technologies.