The NYC CV pilot deployment, led by NYC Department of Transportation (NYCDOT), aims to improve the safety of travelers and pedestrians by reducing crash frequency and severity and managing vehicle speeds (to the regulatory limit). Approximately 8,000 vehicles (comprising 3,200 taxis, 3,200 Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) vehicles, 700 Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) buses, 700 NYCDOT fleet vehicles and 170 New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) vehicles) that frequent the NYC pilot network will be fitted with aftermarket safety devices (ASDs) that will alert drivers of crash-imminent situations. The pilot will also focus on reducing vehicle-pedestrian conflicts through in-vehicle pedestrian warnings at 10 signalized intersections and assisting 100 visually impaired pedestrians with personal information devices (PID) in safely crossing the street.
New York City and its “urban canyons” provide a challenging environment for continuous GPS positioning data needed for the V2V and V2I safety applications that the NYC Pilot is deploying. As a result, the NYC Pilot required ASD suppliers who could extend their location determination mechanisms to include such mechanisms as inertial guidance, map matching, and direct connection to the vehicle’s data [CAN] bus to provide higher-accuracy location data.
NYCDOT developed Comprehensive Acquisition and Installation Plans that outlined their approach for: identifying the type and number of devices, equipment, and software-based capabilities that needed to be acquired for the pilot; engaging with vendors; and getting the devices in hand and installed while adhering to a stringent installation schedule. The team determined a procurement process that adhered to federal and City procurement regulations, protected the City, and ensured a fair competitive environment. NYCDOT issued several open solicitations in April 2017 for vendors to participate in product demonstrations and evaluations. The final “competition” was held in May 2017 and negotiations started in July 2017 with the two vendors offering NYCDOT the best value with both claiming that they could meet the location accuracy criteria of 1.5 Meters in most of the urban environment (as stated in the RFP specification). After more than a year of negotiations, development, testing and demonstrations, NYC decided to partner with the vendor that could provide them with the best lane-level accuracy. The testing and location accuracy evaluation has continued with the ASD prototype testing in both open sky and a section of Manhattan deep in the urban canyons.
In April 2019, NYCDOT issued the official Notice to Proceed to Danlaw Inc. for the production and delivery of the first half (4,000) of the ASDs. Though the NYCDOT CV Pilot team has kept busy installing and testing the 100 previously procured prototype ASDs, the team is preparing to ramp-up installation when the first ASDs begin to arrive in June.
