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

Impacts of Automated Vehicle (AV) on Infrastructure Research Project
Presenter: Morgan Kessler
Presenter’s Org: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Research, Development, and Technology

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.

[The slides in this presentation contain the USDOT Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center logo.]

Slide 1: Impacts on Roads from Automated Driving Systems (ADS)

Morgan Kessler
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Research, Development, and Technology
(May 19, 2022)

[This slide contains a background image of a close-up of a circuit board overlaid with interconnected icons of a traffic light, a person, a connected vehicle (CV), a beaker, a bridge, liquid drops, a crash test dummy’s head, a truck, a cloud, etc. Image source: 2015 USchools/iStock.]

Slide 2: Background

Jointly sponsored research project between FHWA Infrastructure Research and Development (R&D) (lead) with FHWA Safety R&D (support):
- Morgan Kessler - Infrastructure R&D
- Abdul Zineddin and Carl Andersen - Safety R&D
Work performed by contractors Deepak Gopalakrishna and Paul Carlson

Slide 3: Project Objectives

✓ Provide State departments of transportation (DOTs) information they can use today to prepare for the AV deployment-driven infrastructure changes.
✓ Provide DOTs with possible impacts of initial AV deployment on roadway infrastructure (over the next 10 yr).
✓ Illustrate areas of further research needed.
× NOT provide operational and policy recommendations.

Slide 4: Project Workflow

[This slide contains a graphic of five arrow-shaped blocks, all pointing to the right, labeled from left to right: Literature Review and Coordination, AV Industry Interviews, Stakeholder Workshops, Synthesize Materials, and Findings. All blocks except the Findings block are the same color.]

Slide 5: Literature Review and Coordination

Literature review: The impact of AV on infrastructure is an emerging area, so reports and papers available on the topic are limited.
Project coordination efforts:
- Ongoing projects: Transportation Research Board (TRB), National Cooperative Highway Research Program, FHWA, Transport Canada, and so on.
- Industry associations: SAE International, American Traffic Safety Services Association, Alliance for Automotive Innovation, and so on.
- Professional organizations: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Institute of Transportation Engineers, National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD), and so on.

Slide 6: AV Industry Interviews

Goals:

Interactions between AVs and highway infrastructure.
Preparedness among DOTs.
Collaboration across stakeholder industries.

[This slide contains a pie chart containing five slices: OEM (original equipment manufacturers): ~40%, ADS Sensor Manufacturer: ~30%, ADS Computation: ~10%, Heavy Truck Industry: ~10%, and Tier 1 Auto Supplier: ~10%.]

Slide 7: AV Industry Interviews (Cont’d)

Key findings:

What is good for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) is good for automated driving systems (ADS).
ADS sensor suite is still rapidly evolving.
Some stakeholders believe AVs may exacerbate congestion in the near term.
Some stakeholders believe infrastructure should be consistent and well maintained, especially regarding road markings and signage.
Some stakeholders desire further guidance and policies at the Federal level.

Slide 8: DOT Stakeholder Workshops

Workshop goal - Gather feedback from various stakeholders as presence of AV technologies increases.
Workshop locations:
- AASHTO, Committee on Maintenance: Grand Rapids, MI 2019.
- TRB, AV Symposium: Orlando, FL 2019.

[This slide contains a photo of people sitting in a conference room watching a presentation. Source: FHWA.]

Slide 9: Key Stakeholder Workshop Input

Expressed interest in continued/increased collaboration between AV and highway industries.
Desired national guidance describing how to prepare for AVs.
Acknowledged uniform pavement markings as important in terms of supporting AV deployment.
Expressed concerns about funding related to additional activities or maintenance beyond current DOT practices.
Expressed concern about pavement marking maintenance/visibility in snow and ice regions.
Reported varied infrastructure owner-operators’ AV deployment readiness.

Slide 10: Finding Highlights for Traffic Control Devices (TCD)

Focus - Ideas for consideration related to TCDs:

Pavement markings and their role in both ADAS and ADS deployment.
Uniformity in application and appearance.
Consistency in maintenance practices.
Markings contrasted on light-colored pavements.
NCUTCD recommendations for the next Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
Additional research into more types of TCDs used by ADAS and ADS.
Speed limit sign positioning on parallel routes (e.g., frontage roads).

Slide 11: Finding Highlights for Infrastructure

Focus - Physical infrastructure and operations stakeholder input:

Heavy vehicles equipped with lane-centering technologies may accelerate pavement rutting.
Early AV deployment may lead to increased congestion, increasing the need for and role of transportation systems management and operations.
Digital signing can be problematic for some in-vehicle camera systems.
Approaches and exits from toll booths can be challenging.

Slide 12: What “Not Ready” DOTs Reported

“Not ready” DOTs need:
- Maintenance plan/funding.
- More guidance and standards.
- Additional funding.
These DOTs also reported that:
- Existing road conditions are inadequate.
- The AV industry is not fully developed (rapidly developing solutions/technology).
- Public confidence is low.
They are unclear about how to maximize return on investment.

Slide 13: What “Getting Ready” DOTs Reported

“Getting ready” DOTs have:
- Already started with early stages of planning.
- An AV advocate at the executive level of their State government.
- An existing AV-related position/office in their agency.
- Engagements with AV developers/automotive OEMs.
These DOTs are:
- Beginning to train staff.
- Updating standards and policies.
- Conducting targeted research.

Slide 14: DOT Actions Reported to be Underway

Changing pavement marking policies.
Initiating internal task forces.
Engaging with automotive OEMs.
Supporting legislation.
Updating traffic control.
Upgrading intelligent transportation system equipment.
Funding State-level research.
Doing nothing (wait and see).

Slide 15: Suggestions for Future Research

TCD uniformity for AVs.
A strategic approach to updating and maintaining pavement markings.
AV test scenarios that provide realistic expectations.
National traffic control AV readiness assessment.

Slide 16: Deliverable: Three-Webinar Series

AV Impacts Webinar 1: Traffic Control Devices (October 9, 2020).
AV Impacts Webinar 2: Physical Infrastructure and Operations (October 16, 2020).
AV Impacts Webinar 3: Agency Readiness (October 23, 2020).

Slide 17: Deliverable: TechBrief

Gopalakrishna, D., P. Carlson, D. Raghunathan. 2021. Impacts of Automated Vehicles on Highway Infrastructure. Report No. FHWA-HRT-21-051. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/21051/index.cfm.

[This slide contains a screenshot of the Impacts of Automated Vehicles on Highway Infrastructure tech brief.]

Slide 18: Deliverable: Final Report

Gopalakrishna, D., P. Carlson, P. Sweatman, D. Raghunathan, L. Brown, and N. U. Serulle. 2021. Impacts of Automated Vehicles on Highway Infrastructure. Report No. FHWA-HRT-21-015. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/operations/21015/index.cfm

[This slide contains a screenshot of the cover of the Impacts of Automated Vehicles on Highway Infrastructure final report.]

Slide 19: Questions?

Slide 20: Contacts

Morgan Kessler, Morgan.Kessler@dot.gov, (202) 493-3187

Abdul Zineddin, Abdul.Zineddin@dot.gov, (202) 366-8044

[This slide contains a background image of heavy traffic on a many-laned highway.]

Slide 21: Disclaimer

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers’ names appear in this presentation only because they are considered essential to the objective of the presentation. They are included for informational purposes only and are not intended to reflect a preference, approval, or endorsement of any one product or entity.

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