DANIEL S. TURNER

DEALING WITH EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND STATE STANDARDS

State DOTs and University Partnerships

Everything is going well on your dream project, the “Gizmarkit traffic control system.”

Your picture is on the cover of the AASHTO Journal

• Implementation is 96% finished• The pilot effort was a smashing success• Training has been completed• Local elected officials love it

A likely scenario…

While thumbing through the Journal you find a review of traffic control systems…

Gizmarkit is ranked:last in reliability last in maintainabilitylast in user friendliness, but first

The DOT Secretary is calling your cell phone

in cost

How do you handle emerging technologies?

How do you set standards in a changing field of practice?

How do you find the best system to buy?

What do you tell a Congressional staffer who don’t have a clue?

Hold on, help is coming

UTCs Can Help

• Faculty researchers often look forward to new issues• Faculty welcome new technology and new

opportunities• Many disciplines are available, including

non-traditional areas• Multidisciplinary teams can be formed

Multidisciplinary Teams Can:

• Work “outside of your box”• Address your issue and explain it• Identify, collect and analyze needed data

• Add policy and legal expertise• Help you with political and economic issues• Tap management experts, CEO Council

members

• Use more specialized analysis tools/software

Three examples

1) Pavement data collection/interpretation project for ALDOT• Basis for pavement management system

• 2 CE profs with pavement expertise• Business prof - data science (plus students)• Business prof - systems analysis and

management (plus students)• Contract wth high speed data collection and

analysis firm

2) Spike in Tort Liability (Chief Engineer)

• Alabama DOT faced with first wave of liability suits

• Partnered with Law School Professor• Engaged ITE and TRB experts

Three examples

• Tort Liability/Risk Management Handbook• Training materials/scenarios

TR News July-August 20142013 Autonomous Vehicles Conference

Don’t you want to read the TOP TEN research needs?

Third Example

Presentations to TRB Excom

o Rapid Research Pathway to Automation, Peter Sweatman, Director UMTRC

o Autonomous Vehicles: What are the Research Implications?, James Anderson, Rand Corporation

o Road to Connected and Automated Driving, John Capp, GM Director of Electric/Control Research

o Operations Opportunities and Technology Challenges, Tom Schaffnit, A2 Technology Management

• One bullet

STATE GOVERNMENT CHALLENGES

• Can DOTs deploy/operate V2I systems, given current workloads and resources?

• By the time DOTs deploy infrastructure, the next phase of technology may available

• Safety will improve, but will DOTs accrue new liabilities?

• Can we quantify improvements in mobility, congestion, etc?

• States will need new laws, regulations, and certifications. Will there be uniformity among the states?

• Will conventional traffic control devices support automation? Can they be maintained at a high level to support C/A data needs?

• How will C/A vehicles affect geometric design?

What UTCs need

• Partnership•Match your needs to our expertise

• Stability• Help train new profs to do your work

• Academic publications, peer reviewed• Support for grad students

THE END Of This Presentation

•The beginning of an exciting period of Research, Implementation, and Progress

•Made better by multidisciplinary teams at your closest UTC!