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Second level

Third level

Fourth level

Fifth level

Data Sources: Traffic Safety Facts: 2010 Data, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, June 2012; 2011 Annual Urban Mobility Report, Texas Transportation Institute

Significant activity underway and important for USDOT to understand it’s role.

The major benefit of connectivity is that information can be shared that would not be available through the use of only autonomous sensors. In addition, for information that is available through autonomous sensors, it is communicated faster and more reliably through connectivity

Mention the presentations by Robert Ferlis and Art Carter that are coming up.

Mention that the Volpe Center is executing the work to develop the plan and will be contacting stakeholders to support that process.

Platooning can be accomplished with all three infrastructure levels (since it can be accomplished on existing roadways). At a minimum it requires VL2 since that provides the lane centering systems and the CACC system allows closer following distances than possible under manual operation. It is possible to have platooning at level VL1, but the benefits are minimal. At VL1, the spacing is not tight, thus energy savings due to aerodynamics is less, roadway usage efficiency and throughput are lower. Ideally VL2 should be used to gain some benefits.

1st/Last Mile requires communication from the infrastructure (signal information) which is level 2 or 3. In this application, the driver is not capable of driving or even overtaking the control for a brief period in case of an exception. VL4 is required for this application, at this level there is no means or need for the driver to take over.

There is a lot of feedback between the technical and non-technical issues to ensure that any scenarios/use cases being analyzed are feasible from the technical and non-technical perspective.

Platooning:

Enables vehicles to travel with close longitudinal spacing at high speeds

Benefits: Energy savings, lower emissions (both especially for heavy trucks), safety, road efficiency, throughput

Intersection management:

Enables all vehicle to negotiate intersection crossing automatically

Benefits: Safety, efficiency and throughput at intersections

Emergency Stop Assist:

Detects the state of the driver and if the driver is incapacitated, then moves the vehicle to the shoulder automatically, stops the vehicle, then calls emergency (mainly on highways)

Benefits: Safety and throughput due to the eliminating crashes

Speed Harmonization:

Moves the vehicles with minimal speed differences along the roadway, thus eliminating ‘rubber banding and bunching’ effects

Benefits: Throughput, road efficiency, and also safety since delta velocities are low

First/Last Mile:

Enables handicapped, disabled, elderly, etc. to use public transportation, yet automate the first/last mile of the trip (home/work to/from public transportation station)

Benefits: Mobility, safety

Off-road:

Automates some labor intensive but repetitive tasks such as maintenance, washing, fueling of transit vehicles, guiding heavy trucks while approaching loading/unloading ports

Benefits: Cost, efficiency, eliminate some driving time of heavy truck drivers