FHWA National Dialogue on Highway Automation: Overview

AASHTO Committee on Transportation System Operations Annual Meeting

August 27, 2018

USDOT Automated Vehicle Research

& Policy

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Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is responsible for providing

stewardship over the construction, maintenance,

and preservation of the Nation’s highways, bridges,

and tunnels.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) partners with

industry, safety advocates, and State and local

governments to keep the Nation’s roads safe and

improve commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety through regulation,

education, enforcement, research, and technology.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) provides financial and technical assistance to

local public transit systems, including buses, subways,

light rail, commuter rail, trolleys, and ferries.

The National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration’s (NHTSA) mission is to save lives,

prevent injuries, and reduce the economic costs

of road traffic crashes through education,

research, safety standards, and enforcement activity.

MARAD’s mission is promote the development

and maintenance of an adequate, well-balanced United States merchant

marine.

PHMSA's mission is to protect people and the

environment by advancing the safe transportation of

energy and other hazardous materials that are essential to our daily

lives

FRA develops and enforces safety regulations and invests in passenger

and freight rail services and infrastructure, and research

into and development of innovations and technology

solutions.

USDOT Modal Agencies and Roles

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USDOT Activities in Automation

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Event Date

USDOT releases Automated Driving Systems (ADS) 2.0:

A Vision for SafetySeptember 12, 2017

Roundtable on Data for Automated Vehicle Safety December 7, 2017

Public Listening Summit on Automated Vehicle Policy March 1, 2018

USDOT Releases RFIs on Automation March 2018

Automated Vehicles 3.0 Late Summer 2018

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• FHWA, FTA, FMCSA, NHTSA, FRA, PHMSA each

released RFIs/RFCs in early 2018

• Nearly 4,000 comments submitted

• Topics included:

• Technology availability

• Mode-specific barriers to integration of automation

• Mode-specific considerations

2018 Requests for Comment and Information Related to Automation

FHWA Released RFI on Automation

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FHWA RFI Themes

• Greater Uniformity and Quality in road markings and traffic control devices would enable

automation.

• FHWA should take a Leadership role in convening stakeholders to encourage collaboration.

• Certain Data Elements around the roadway environment are useful for industry, State, and local

DOTs to share and could improve automation operations.

• Conducting Pilots and supporting pilot testing are important for facilitating learning and

collaboration.

• Uncertainty in infrastructure investment and allocation of limited resources are key concerns for

State and local agencies.

• Automated Driving Systems (ADS) 2.0: A Vision for Safety (September 2017)

• Clarifies Voluntary Safety Self-Assessment process

• Emphasis on motor vehicle safety

• 2018 Update • Multimodal, surface transportation

• Broadens considerations to reflect multimodal responsibilities (e.g. operations)

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More information on ADS 2.0 is

available on the NHTSA website:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/technology-

innovation/automated-vehicles

U.S. DOT Automation Policy

Preparing for the Future of Transportation

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018

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• Signed into law on March 23, 2018

• Funds highly automated vehicle research and development

• Reallocates a total of $100 million for automation activities, including:

• Up to $38 million for direct research

• Up to $60 million for demonstration grants

• Up to $1.5 million for analysis of impacts on drivers and operators of commercial

motor vehicles, in consultation with Department of Labor

• Additional funding for NHTSA and OST

• https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1625

FHWA National Dialogue

on Highway Automation

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• The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is

initiating a national conversation with diverse

stakeholders to discuss automated vehicles.

• National Dialogue on Highway Automation is a

series of meetings held across the country to

facilitate information sharing, identify key issues,

and support the transportation community to safely

and efficiently integrate automated vehicles into the

road network.

What is the National Dialogue?

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LISTEN: Gather input from a diverse group of stakeholders.

ENGAGE: Facilitate information sharing among industry, public

agencies, associations and others.

INFORM: Raise awareness of FHWA and USDOT activities in

automation and emerging technologies.

EVOLVE: Adapt existing programs, policies and research to address

automation.

What are the Objectives?

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FHWA may use inputs to:

1. Assess National issues and priorities

2. Develop guidance, best practices, standards

3. Support necessary research

4. Adapt programs and policies

5. Create a National community or coalition

What are Desired Outcomes?

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• Planning and Policy

• Digital Infrastructure and Data

• Freight

• Operations

• Infrastructure Design and Safety

Workshop Focus Areas

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Tentative Schedule

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Month Event Location

June 7th National Dialogue Launch Workshop Detroit, MI

June 26-27th National Workshop 1: Planning and Policy Philadelphia, PA

August 1-2nd National Workshop 2: Digital Infrastructure and Data Seattle, WA

September 5-6th National Workshop 3: Freight Chicago, IL

October 24-25th National Workshop 4: Operations Phoenix, AZ

Late 2018 National Workshop 5: Infrastructure Design and Safety Texas

• Unclear infrastructure requirements for AVs

(signals, markings)

• Implications for infrastructure maintenance

and investment

• Challenges of managing a mixed traffic

environment (AV, non-AV)

• Changes in travel demand and traveler

behavior

• Potential increases in congestion and

system efficiency impacts

Example Issues

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• Data requirements and needs (e.g.,

digital work zone maps, road closures)

• Land and use impacts and

• Adapting the long range transportation

planning process

• Shared vehicle fleets and new mobility

models on travel demand

modeling/forecasting

• Revenue and budget implications

Example Issues (continued)

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Automation Has Implications for Roadways

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Physical Infrastructure Roadway Operations

Programs and PracticesDigital Infrastructure

Aspects of Highway Automation Readiness

Vehicle

Systems

Communities

and Users

Infrastructure

Systems

Institutional

Systems

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www.transportation.gov/av

FHWA National Dialogue on Highway Automation Website:

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/automationdialogue/

Contacts:

highwayautomation@dot.gov

John.corbin@dot.gov

For More Information:

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