Research Description and Scope

Passive interaction between fixed and mobile transportation system entities is rapidly giving way to a new paradigm of connected, interacting entities. This enables both new forms of data exchange and the opportunity to extend the geographic scope, nature, precision and latency of control within the transportation system. This opportunity to transform control of individual mobile or fixed entities as well as the connected system of mobile and fixed entities may have transformational impact on the capability of the transportation system to support individual mobility, system productivity and economic activity, while at the same time reducing environmental impacts and safety risks.

Introducing new forms of control may not necessarily increase the centralization of control systems.  Some applications, for example transit signal priority, may be best deployed as a decentralized, locally optimized application.  Such a local application might combine precise predictions of pedestrian and vehicular location over time in an intersection with transit passenger count and schedule adherence data from transit vehicles approaching the intersection.  Considering these data, a local automated decision to adapt signal control to accommodate a specific transit vehicle might be made.  The altered signal plan is then communicated using two-way connectivity between the infrastructure and vehicles, including not only transit vehicles but all vehicles approaching the intersection. This example illustrates that new forms of control may exploit both new data and improved connectivity within the system.  However, the example also illustrates a consideration of an appropriate level of control and how systems that combine local, corridor and network-level controls perform.  In many cases, decentralized but coordinated systems can be cost-effective alternatives to centralized systems.

Another desired element in new forms of control is the ability to accurately characterize and monitor both near-term control impacts and long-term system performance.  Localized intersection control might routinely assess passenger-weighted intersection throughput against pre-determined target values.  Corridor or system-level controls integrating data from vehicles, travelers and local infrastructure control systems could characterize network-level mobility and productivity.  These routine assessments could be used to fine-tune control settings as well as measure improved mobility and productivity over time.  

A successful Dynamic Mobility Applications program will lead to the more rapid and cost-effective deployment of interoperable technologies and applications that increase system efficiency and improve individual mobility.  The Dynamic Mobility Applications program will act to promote the highest levels of collaboration and cooperation in the research and development of transformative mobility applications.  Further, the program will seek to facilitate the highest level of free and open competition in the commercialization of mobility applications as well as their integration and maintenance.  The Dynamic Mobility Applications program positions the federal government to take on an appropriate and influential role as a technology steward for the continually evolving integrated transportation system.

One element of this stewardship is identifying and articulating a desired end-state for system operation and performance.  Further, the Dynamic Mobility Applications program will actively invest in open source research and development activities with the over-arching goal of maintaining a feasible evolutionary path from current technologies and practices to reach the desired end-state.  Without a Dynamic Mobility Applications program, the public and private sectors will bear higher costs of uncoordinated, proprietary and duplicative mobility applications research and testing, higher costs for the commercialization and integration of non-interoperable or proprietary technologies and control systems, and slowed progress towards a less desirable and ad hoc sub-optimal end-state.

A successful Dynamic Mobility Applications Program will be characterized by a number of outcomes, some related to the success of the program in developing new applications and attracting partners, others related to improvements in productivity and mobility related to the deployment of new applications:

Multiple Multi-Modal Applications Developed Leveraging Multi-Source Data. The program successfully identifies and develops multiple mobility applications that combine new forms of data in real-time.  These applications demonstrate substantial promise in the improvement of system productivity and traveler mobility, as defined by a set of unambiguous performance measures.  Multiple organizations and partners are involved in applications development. Some of these participants are part of program-funded efforts, while others participate with funding from other sources to leverage the data, tools and development environment made available by the Dynamic Mobility Applications program. 

Research Spurs Commercialization. Transparent mobility applications research and development efforts prompt private sector interest in commercializing these new applications and speed their deployment.  Careful treatment of intellectual property rights and collaborative development in an open source applications development environment chart a clear course for non-proprietary commercialization of applications.  Multiple commercialization efforts are underway, shortening the time from development to deployment for key mobility applications.

Applications Enable Transformational Change. Tested and deployed applications demonstrate significant mobility and productivity benefit.  These benefits are evident in the field and supported by analysis from enhanced modeling and simulation tools.  These applications exploit new data sources and vehicle-traveler-infrastructure connectivity to provide cost-effective mobility solutions for individuals.  These individual mobility benefits manifest themselves at the system level in markedly increased system productivity.  As an increasing number of travelers and vehicles adopt new technologies, applications become more and more effective over time.  This natural evolution is underscored by an appropriate deployment of infrastructure-based controls to supplement and take advantage of increasing participation.