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Impacts on Roads from Automated Driving Systems (ADS)
(May 19, 2022)

FHWA Roadway/Automated Vehicle Integration Activities
Presenter: John Harding
Presenter’s Org: Office of Transportation Management, Office of Operations, USDOT

T3 webinars are brought to you by the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Professional Capacity Building (PCB) Program of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)’s ITS Joint Program Office (JPO). References in this webinar to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the USDOT.

[Some of the slides in this presentation contain the USDOT Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) logo.]

Slide 1: FHWA Roadway/Automated Vehicle Integration Activities

John Harding, Office of Transportation Management, Office of Operations

[This slide contains a background photo of a rural curved highway.]

Slide 2: Disclaimer

Except for the statutes and regulations cited, the contents of this document do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. This document is intended only to provide information regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.

Slide 3: Agenda

Overview of FHWA Activities on Automated Driving Systems (ADS)
Study of Impacts on Roads from ADS

Slide 4: New Paradigm for Safety

The Safe System Approach aims to eliminate fatal and serious injuries for all road users by:

Accommodating human mistakes.
Keeping impacts on the human body at tolerable levels.

[This slide contains a circular graphic with Safe System Approach in the center surrounded by five sections: Safe Road Users, Safe Vehicles, Safe Speeds, Safe Roads, and Post-Crash Care. Surrounding the circle are six labels: Death/serious injury is unacceptable, Humans make mistakes, Humans are vulnerable, Responsibility is shared, Safety is proactive, and Redundancy is crucial. Source: FHWA.]

Slide 5: Developing a Concept of Operations (ConOps) for Automated Driving Systems

The ConOps defines four overarching target outcomes for ADS integration: Safe System Efficient Operations Interoperable Systems Equitable Benefits and Impacts	The ConOps defines eight ADS vehicle use cases (arranged in four categories: Freight and Package Delivery Transit Individual Travel and Commuting Agency Operations
↓	↓
Use outcome-based needs for ADS integration	Use case-based needs for ADS integration.
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Roadway ADS integration needs (what ADS integration needs to accomplish by 2035)

[This slide contains a graphic that is described in the table above.]

Slide 6: Cooperative Driving Automation (CDA)

SAE International Standard J3216_202005: CDA can be defined as automation that uses machine-to-machine communication to enable cooperation among two or more entities with capable communications technology and is intended to facilitate the safer, more efficient movement of road users, including enhancing performance of the Dynamic Driving Task for a vehicle with driving automation feature(s) engaged.
SAE International. 2020. Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to Cooperative Driving Automation for On-Road Motor Vehicles. SAE J3216_202005. Warrendale, PA: SAE International. https://www.sae.org/standards/content/j3216_202005/, last accessed October 19, 2020

[This slide contains a graphic of three CARMA vehicles lined up at a traffic light. Source: FHWA.]

Slide 7: Office of Operations Connected/Automated Vehicles and Emerging Technologies (CAVET) Automated Vehicles (AV) Activities

Road Automation Concept of Operations
[graphic of a curved road marked with Google map markers and a “goal” marker of 2035: ConOps, future desired state of the transportation system with ADS integration. The other markers, labeled from closest to viewer to the goal marker: ADS Technology Development, Maturity, Commercialization; Strategy Efforts (National, State); Proof of Concept (ADS Grants, Pilots); Regulatory, Policy Adaptations, and Changes; Transportation Systems Evolution; Readiness and Program Integration (Planning, Operations, Maintenance); and Small Scale Operations (Test Corridors, Subareas).]
Collaborative Research Framework for Automated Driving System (ADS) Developers and Infrastructure Owner Operators (IOOs)
[graphic of the framework with two sets of connected blocks: (1) Collaboration, Institutional/Organizational Issues, Common Ground, Roles and Responsibilities, Automated Driver, Success Factors, Test Logics, Plans, and Sharing Opportunities and (2) Pre-test, Test Definition, Test Execution, and Post-test.]
Feasibility of Changeable Road Environment Capabilities
[graphic image of a changeable road environment]

Slide 8: Office of Operations Connected/Automated Vehicles and Emerging Technologies (CAVET) AV Activities Continued

Automated Driving Systems and Traffic Regulations
[photo marked to depict an ADS traffic situation: a car is pulling up to a red traffic light. Source: FHWA.]
Digital Infrastructure Framework
[graphic of the framework that shows these layers: Human layer (individuals and organizations), Knowledge Management and Decision Support Environmental layer, Network Communications layer, Edge and Cloud Intelligence layer, Digitization layer, and Physical layer (vehicles and roads). Source: FHWA.]
Cooperative Automated Transportation (CAT) Coalition
[CAT Coalition organization chart as of October 2021. Source: FHWA.]

Slide 9: New Study: Impacts on Roads from Automated Driving Systems

Section 11504 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (Pub. L. 117-58, also known as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” (BIL)) calls for a “study on the existing and future impacts of self-driving vehicles to transportation infrastructure, mobility, the environment, and safety.”

Slide 10: Study Scope

Study shall consider existing and future impacts on:
- Interstate system
- Urban roads
- rural roads
- corridors with heavy traffic congestion
- transportation systems optimization
Focus is on ADS (SAE Levels 3-5)
Should consider ”…the need for and recommend any policy changes to be undertaken by the Federal Highway Administration…”
Section 11504 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (Pub. L. 117-58, also known as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” (BIL)
Completion within 1 year of being initiated

Slide 11: Considers a Range of Impacts

Roadway infrastructure
Commercial and private traffic flows
Congestion, and vehicle miles traveled
Environment
Mobility
Safety

[This slide contains a graphic of a four-way intersection with some connected automated vehcles. Source: Source: 123rf.com, https://www.123rf.com/photo_102890609_city-crossroad-isometric-background-with-autonomous-driverless-cars-on-road-and-people-walking-on-th.html?vti=n4572tu0o0w5yjug97-1-103.]

Slide 12: Stakeholder Engagement: Expert Panel

Operators and users of the Interstate System
States and State departments of transportation (DOTs)
Metropolitan planning organizations
Motor carrier industry
Representatives of public transportation agencies or organizations
Highway safety and academic groups
Nonprofit entities with experience in transportation policy
National Laboratories
Environmental stakeholders
ADS producers, manufacturers, and technology developers

Slide 13: General Discussion Questions

What are safety impacts of ADS on vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, bicyclists?
How could ADS impact the physical roadway infrastructure?
What infrastructure improvements may be necessary for ADS operations?
How could ADS impact network efficiency and transportation system capacity?
How could ADS influence travel behavior, travel demand, and personal mobility?
How will ADS impact the environment, congestion, and vehicle miles traveled?

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