USA Banner

Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Public Roads - Autumn 2024

Date:
Autumn 2024
Issue No:
Vol. 88 No. 3
Publication Number:
FHWA-HRT-25-001
Table of Contents

What's New

Enhancing the Road Transportation System Through Global Collaboration

by Brian Cronin
An illustration of wireless V2X communication among vehicles, traffic signals, and crosswalks at an urban intersection. Image Source: USDOT.
V2X technology create new opportunities to support and protect all road users.

The momentum behind vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology is growing, and for good reason: it is a powerful tool for reducing deaths and serious injuries on the Nation’s roadways. V2X technology enables vehicles to communicate with each other, with other road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, and with roadside infrastructure like traffic signals and work zones. This wireless communication has various applications to enhance safety and efficiency.

For nearly 30 years, the U.S. Department of Transportation has played a leading role in advancing V2X deployment by working with State and local governments as well as auto manufacturers to help deploy the game-changing technology. This summer, USDOT unveiled the final National V2X Deployment Plan, which sets the vision, goals, and milestones for V2X deployment for the next 12 years.

“Excitement is building around V2X,” said Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) Managing Director Egan Smith. “As deployments become more widespread, we are going to see the safety benefits multiply.”
 

The cover of the National V2X Deployment Plan with the title “Saving Lives with Connectivity: A Plan to Accelerate V2X Deployment.” Image Source: USDOT.
The National V2X Deployment Plan.

While USDOT leadership is important, achieving a national, interoperable V2X ecosystem requires action from public agencies and the private sector. The National V2X Deployment Plan issues a call to action for these stakeholder groups. It also establishes short-, medium-, and long-term milestones and targets. For example, the plan specifies the actions needed to achieve 12 interoperable V2X deployments by 2028, 25 by 2031, and 50 by 2036, with the goal of an observable impact on safety.

“Interoperability is the key,” said Govind Vadakpat, the ITS JPO program manager for smart infrastructure. “Vehicles, devices, and infrastructure all must be able to communicate with each other seamlessly across jurisdictional boundaries for V2X to reach its full potential to save lives on our Nation’s roadways.”

The Federal Highway Administration has taken many notable actions to advance interoperability, including providing technical assistance and resources to V2X deployers, working to resolve regulatory uncertainty, establishing a V2X peer group to share best practices and lessons learned, identifying proven V2X applications, and investing in research, development, and deployment of V2X technology.

In the months following the release of the draft deployment plan, USDOT received more than 800 comments from stakeholders including public agencies, service providers, professional associations, and the automotive industry. Many respondents expressed enthusiasm for the plan and support for the plan’s key features.
 

A timeline shows a series of goals for V2X deployment. The timeline begins with the Third V2X Summit in 2023. The short-term goal is 12 interoperable V2X deployments by 2028. The medium-term goal is 25 interoperable V2X deployments by 2031. The long-term goal is 50 interoperable V2X deployments by 2036. These deployments should be connected, interoperable, cybersecure, and scalable, and they should have an observable impact on safety. The graphic also shows proposed actions for key stakeholder groups. The USDOT is to provide seed funding and grants to accelerate infrastructure deployments; champion V2X spectrum and standards; and facilitate V2X community building and develop a benefit-cost pipeline. Infrastructure owner-operators are to take the lead on infrastructure deployments. The private sector is to deliver 5.895-5.925 Gigahertz capable vehicles and certified V2X technology, and to take the lead as the V2X market matures. Image Source: USDOT.
The National V2X Deployment Plan establishes short-, medium-, and long-term goals that will require action from across the stakeholder community.

The National V2X Deployment Plan represents a major step toward enabling a safe, efficient, equitable, and sustainable transportation system through the national, widespread deployment of interoperable V2X technologies. Realizing the plan’s ambitious goals will require commitment and investment not only from FHWA but also from across the stakeholder community.

To learn more about the National V2X Deployment Plan, visit https://www.its.dot.gov/research_areas/emerging_tech/htm/ITS_V2X_CommunicationSummit.htm.

To learn more about USDOT’s V2X deployment resources, visit the Smart Community Resource Center at https://www.its.dot.gov/scrc/.

Brian Cronin is the director of the ITS JPO, with more than 25 years of experience providing technical and strategic leadership at USDOT. He holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M University and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech.


The FHWA Research Associateship Program Addresses Priority Transportation Needs

by Eric R. Brown

A man views three computer monitors to perform a complex analysis of a concrete core sample using a scanning electron microscope. Detailed microscopic images of the sample appear on the monitors along with various display settings and figures. Image Source: FHWA.
Dr. Campos uses a scanning electron microscope to examine a concrete core from a bridge.

The Federal Highway Administration conducts advanced research across many disciplines and topics to fulfill its mission of delivering a world-class transportation system that advances safe, efficient, equitable, and sustainable mobility choices for everyone while strengthening the Nation’s economy. To augment its in-house staff expertise, FHWA participates in the National Research Council Research Associateship Program (RAP), administered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Through RAP, research advisors at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, VA, (TFHRC) and FHWA headquarters in Washington, DC, supervise postdoctoral research associates on a short-term basis (usually 1 to 3 years) to apply cutting-edge tools and techniques to priority research focus areas, including highway safety; motorist behavior; high-performance construction materials; and infrastructure resilience, assessment, and performance. Examples of tools and techniques research associates use to conduct advanced research are artificial intelligence combined with computer science (such as machine learning and computer vision), data science, and physical and numerical testing.

An article in the Summer 2021 issue of Public Roads described how RAP has become a program for developing FHWA’s workforce (https://highways.dot.gov/public-roads/summer-2021/former-research-associates-find-success). The following four former RAP research associates identified in that article continue to excel as FHWA staff at TFHRC:

  • Dr. David Mensching, a RAP research associate in the TFHRC Asphalt Binder and Mixtures Laboratory from 2015 to 2016, was recently promoted to team leader of the Infrastructure Materials Team.
  • Dr. Rafic Helou, a RAP research associate from 2016 to 2019 in the TFHRC Structures Laboratory, was hired by FHWA as research structural engineer in 2023.
  • Dr. Pavle Bujanovic, a RAP research associate for one year starting in 2018, continues to serve on TFHRC’s Transportation Enabling Technologies Team. His work focuses on cooperative driving automation.
  • Dr. Jose F. Munoz Campos, a 2010 to 2013 RAP research associate, was hired by FHWA in 2023 as a research chemist at the TFHRC Chemistry Laboratory, specializing in concrete and asphalt binders.

“I transitioned from my postdoctoral position to permanent employment at FHWA to pursue my passion for conducting research with direct field applications. This move allowed me to contribute to impactful projects that enhance the durability of concrete infrastructure, aligning my work with tangible outcomes and public benefit,” says Dr. Campos.

Since 2021, research advisors have posted multiple new opportunities to the RAP website for research associates in leading-edge research fields, including:

  • Data Mining and Analysis Tools and Methodologies for Traffic Modeling and Simulation.
  • Ultra-High Performance Concrete: Materials and Structures from Research to Deployment.
  • Advanced Data-Driven Crash Analysis Reflecting Advanced Driver-Assistance System (ADAS) for Safe System Approach.
  • Applied Engineering Research to Advance the State-of-the-Art in Highway Transportation Geotechnics.
  • Use of Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) Data and Roadway Information Dataset (RID) in Highway Safety and Operations Analytics.

The NASEM RAP website provides these research opportunities and many others, and procedural information for current and prospective research associates, advisors, and sponsors: https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/rap/nrc-research-associateship-programs. Interested RAP applicants may directly view current FHWA research opportunities at: https://ra.nas.edu/RAPLab10/Opportunity/Opportunities.aspx?LabCode=27.

RAP steadfastly supports national and agency research priorities and strategic goals while strengthening the FHWA workforce. RAP complements a suite of additional FHWA programs that target and support transportation students and professionals from across the career continuum who have an interest in public service. This holistic approach to engagement, recruitment, and development helps empower FHWA to be a Federal agency of excellence.

Eric R. Brown is the program coordinator for the Exploratory Advanced Research Team within TFHRC’s Office of Corporate Research, Technology, and Innovation Management. He holds a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Pennsylvania State University.

For more information about RAP, visit: https://highways.dot.gov/research/research-programs/exploratory-advanced-research/nrc-research-associates-help-ear-program-solve-transportation-issues or contact Eric Brown, 202-493-3420, eric.r.brown@dot.gov.

To join the email distribution list and stay connected with information about RAP, visit: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOTFHWA/subscriber/new?topic_id=USDOTFHWA_221.