Browsing by Subject "Connected vehicles"

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Connected and Automated Vehicles: Accessibility for the Twin Cities East Metro (Research Brief)
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2022-10) Transportation Policy and Economic Competitiveness Program
This two-page research brief summarizes an opportunity for connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) to serve the east metro of the Twin Cities, particularly the East Side, downtown, and Frogtown areas of St. Paul.
Connected and Automated Vehicles: Opportunity for Equity, Accessibility, and Safety (Research Brief)
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2020-08) Transportation Policy and Economic Competitiveness Program
This two-page research brief summarizes a project that sought to uncover the needs of transportation-disadvantaged communities in the Twin Cities East Metro area and determine whether CAV could be an appropriate solution.
Connected and Automated Vehicles: Opportunity for Safety, Accessibility, and Equity (Research Brief)
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-02) Transportation Policy and Economic Competitiveness Program
This two-page research brief summarizes TPEC's recent community engagement and takeaways regarding connected and automated vehicles (CAV) in Minnesota.
Connected Vehicles Program: Driver Performance and Distraction Evaluation for In-vehicle Signing
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2012-03) Creaser, Janet; Manser, Michael
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) conducted a demonstration project as part of the Connected Vehicles Program to design, build, and test three new software applications to run on a commercially available personal navigation device (PND). The goal of this study was to examine only the in-vehicle signing (IVS) function for four zones and determine the utility and potential distraction associated with this function. The specific zones of interest that were signed on the PND were areas where speed zone changes occurred along the same roadway or for speed changes associated with construction, school and curve zones. A continuous navigation function was provided in two of the three conditions to examine the effect of navigation information alone and multiple sources of information on driving performance. Driving performance measures known to be related to distraction as well as subjective usability and workload measures were used to help identify potential distraction associated with the IVS information. The project identified some driver effects that may occur when using a commercially available navigation device with in-vehicle signing (IVS) information, such as drivers demonstrating higher speeds associated with some of the System On conditions. Overall, distraction effects were small and not consistent across all zones or conditions. The main conclusion drawn from this study was that the IVS information was considered useful by drivers and resulted in few distraction-related effects. The benefit of advance notification likely outweighs any distraction that may be associated with in-vehicle signing of these zones.
Cost/Benefit Analysis of Fuel-Efficient Speed Control Using Signal Phasing and Timing (SPaT) Data: Evaluation for Future Connected Corridor Deployment
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2023-03) Levin, Michael W.; Sun, Zongxuan; Wang, Shi’an; Sun, Wenbo; He, Suiyi; Suh, Bohoon; Zhao, Gaonan; Margolis, Jacob; Zamanpour, Maziar
The objective of this methodology is to refine the preliminary results from previous work (11% fuel savings for one vehicle, one intersection) to an entire corridor of SPaT signals, with different CV market penetration, and with driver awareness of fuel savings benefits. The research will proceed in three parts. First, several vehicles will be instrumented with DSRC receivers and GPS tracking to record SPaT data and the vehicle trajectories together. Offline, the project team will optimize the speed and powertrain control based on recorded SPaT data, using the recorded vehicle trajectories to identify the constraints of traffic flow. A living lab consisting of a GM car engine loaded by a transient hydrostatic dynamometer will be used to measure the fuel consumption with and without speed control. Second, the project team will conduct traffic flow simulations to study the impacts of higher market penetration on the overall fuel benefits, including the benefits to legacy vehicles which unintentionally use SPaT based speed controls by following CVs. Third, network models will be used to predict changes in route choices as drivers recognize the benefits of fuel savings in the route utility. The numerical predictions of fuel savings will be combined into cost/benefit analyses to inform MnDOT on the future deployment of SPaT on other corridors.
Development of a Workshop on Automated Vehicle Technologies
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-07) Davis, Brian; Johnson, Reed
Connectivity and automation in vehicles have the potential to change nearly every aspect of our transportation system. Vehicles with these capabilities are already being tested on public roads and are beginning to enter the national fleet. These vehicles have the potential to bring numerous benefits to the public, but these benefits come with tradeoffs that must be carefully considered by transportation professionals.This project focuses on the development and delivery of a two-day workshop on connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) for an audience of public transportation professionals. This workshop was designed to not only provide an overview of CAV technologies but to also to take an in-depth look at Global Navigation Satellite Systems, LIDAR, and the software and algorithms that use these sensors for localization and navigation. The goal of the workshop was to help develop technical literacy about these technologies among workshop participants to provide context when encountering CAV technologies. A workshop was developed that incorporates classroom lectures and demonstrations using a robotic unmanned ground vehicle. A pilot offering of the workshop was delivered in May 2019, which was attended by eight public transportation professionals representing different agencies at different levels of government. Participant feedback was collected to evaluate the efficacy of the workshop. Responses were almost exclusively positive, highlighting participants’ interest in both classroom sessions and demonstrations. Using constructive feedback, improvements have been identified for future offerings. Workshop participants found the workshop to be interesting and reported learning about the topics covered, motivating future offerings.
Development of a Workshop on Automated Vehicle Technologies
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-07) Davis, Brian; Johnson, Reed
Connectivity and automation in vehicles have the potential to change nearly every aspect of our transportation system. Vehicles with these capabilities are already being tested on public roads and are beginning to enter the national fleet. These vehicles have the potential to bring numerous benefits to the public, but these benefits come with tradeoffs that must be carefully considered by transportation professionals. This project focuses on the development and delivery of a two-day workshop on connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) for an audience of public transportation professionals. This workshop was designed to not only provide an overview of CAV technologies but to also to take an in-depth look at Global Navigation Satellite Systems, LIDAR, and the software and algorithms that use these sensors for localization and navigation. The goal of the workshop was to help develop technical literacy about these technologies among workshop participants to provide context when encountering CAV technologies. A workshop was developed that incorporates classroom lectures and demonstrations using a robotic unmanned ground vehicle. A pilot offering of the workshop was delivered in May 2019, which was attended by eight public transportation professionals representing different agencies at different levels of government. Participant feedback was collected to evaluate the efficacy of the workshop. Responses were almost exclusively positive, highlighting participants' interest in both classroom sessions and demonstrations. Using constructive feedback, improvements have been identified for future offerings. Workshop participants found the workshop to be interesting and reported learning about the topics covered, motivating future offerings.
Generating Traffic Information from Connected Vehicle V2V Basic Safety Messages
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2021-03) Chen, Rongsheng; Levin, Michael; Hourdos, John; Duhn, Melissa
Basic Safety Message (BSM) containing data about the vehicle's position, speed, and acceleration. Roadside receivers, RSUs, can capture BSM broadcasts and translate them into information about traffic conditions. If every vehicle is equipped with awareness, BSMs can be combined to calculate traffic flows, speeds, and densities. These three key parameters will be post-processed to obtain queue lengths and travel time estimates. The project team proposed a traffic state estimation algorithm using BSMs based on the Kalman filter technique. The algorithm's performance was tested with BSMs generated from several arterial in a microscopic simulation model and BSMs generated with radar data collected on freeway sections. Then the project team developed a traffic monitoring system to apply the algorithm to a large-scale network with different types of roads. In the system, computers could remotely access the online server to acquire BSMs and estimate traffic states in real-time.
How Locals Need to Prepare for the Future of V2V/V2I Connected Vehicles
(Minnesota Department of Transportation., 2019-08) Parikh, Gordon; Duhn, Melissa; Hourdos, John
Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) are expected to affect the foundations of transportation operations and roadway maintenance as they become more prevalent on the roadways. This report is an effort to address this complex subject for the various owners, agencies and stakeholders involved in traffic operations. It discusses the connected vehicle ecosystem and its background, potential CAV applications, types of communication and hardware required for CAV systems, and recommendations to local road owners. The report also includes a survey sent to local road owners to assess the current readiness of the transportation system for CAVs. Although it is too early to give specific recommendations, general guidance is provided for road owners to begin preparing for the future of CAVs.
I-94 Connected Vehicles Testbed Operations and Maintenance
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-06) Duhn, Melissa; Parikh, Gordon; Hourdos, John
In March 2017, the Connected Vehicle Testbed along I-94 went live. The original project was sponsored by the Roadway Safety Institute and built on the Minnesota Traffic Observatory's (MTO) existing field lab, also utilizing certain Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) infrastructure. The testbed originally consisted of seven stations, rooftop and roadside, capable of transmitting radar and video data collected from the roadway back to a database at the MTO for analysis, emulating what a future connected vehicle (CV) roadway will look like. This project funded maintenance and upgrades to the system, as well as movement of some stations due to construction on I-94. In addition, better visualization tools for reading the database were developed. The CV testbed is state-of-the-art, fully functional, and uniquely situated to attract freeway safety-oriented vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle to vehicle (V2V) safety application development, implementation, and evaluation projects going forward.
Identifying the Opportunities and Obstacles of Connected and Automated Vehicles in Rural Minnesota: Community Engagement in Greater Minnesota
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-06) Douma, Frank; Lari, Adeel; McNiel, Daniel
Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) technologies have advanced toward implementation stages and will eventually arrive on Minnesota roadways. The advent of CAV technology highlights the importance of facilitating policy conversations that will help plan for the uncertainties of these new modes of transportation. Rural communities in Minnesota experience distinct barriers to safe and affordable transit and have the potential to benefit greatly from the advancements of CAV technology. Automated vehicles present new ways of improving transportation safety, increasing accessibility for transportation disadvantaged populations and spurring economic growth. However, there is growing need for elected officials and city staff to initiate advanced planning regarding CAVs while these technologies continue to be developed and tested, as without policy intervention and intentional planning, CAV technologies have the undesired potential to perpetuate inequities especially in rural areas, where transit service can be very limited, or non-existent. Rural areas will likely require the development of different CAV transit models that blend the functions of high speed and low speed public transit. Examining the challenges that rural transit operators currently face in Greater Minnesota can help to guide the development of policy that promotes rural driverless transit. At the University of Minnesota, the Transportation Policy and Economic Competitiveness Program (TPEC) has been examining equity issues and opportunities related to CAV technology since 2014. The TPEC program focuses on conducting research, creating tools for policymakers, and engaging in outreach to better understand the relationship between transportation and economic development in Minnesota. In the Spring of 2017, TPEC researchers organized a CAV Task Force to identify how various SDV deployment strategies could improve mobility and access for transportation dependent Minnesotans. The work of the Task Force highlighted the need for further outreach and engagement with communities in Greater Minnesota to better understand considerations for implementing CAVs in rural contexts. The TPEC team then conducted community discussions with municipalities throughout the state to better understand how CAV technologies present opportunities to improve safety, accessibility, and equity in Greater Minnesota. The insights gained from these community discussions can help assist Minnesota lawmakers design future CAV policy that is responsive to the needs of residents.
Implementation of a V2I Highway Safety System and Connected Vehicle Testbed
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-04) Hourdos, John; Parikh, Gordon; Dirks, Peter; Lehrke, Derek
To better prepare for the Connected Vehicle (CV) roadway, RSI has established a CV testbed along a highly crashed section of I-94, building on the Minnesota Traffic Observatory’s existing field lab infrastructure. This real- world testbed was designed to implement and evaluate the next generation of vehicle-based freeway safety applications. The priority of this project was to establish the backbone of the sensor communication network and data collection system along the testbed length.
Improving intersection safety through variable speed limits for connected vehicles
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-05) Levin, Michael; Chen, Rongsheng; Liao, Chen-Fu; Zhang, Tab
Autonomous vehicles create new opportunities for innovative intelligent traffic systems. Variable speed limits, which is a speed management systems that can adjust the speed limit according to traffic condition or predefined speed control algorithm on different road segments, can be better implemented with the cooperation of autonomous vehicles. These compliant vehicles can automatically follow speed limits. However, non-compliant vehicles will attempt to pass the moving bottleneck created by the compliant vehicle. This project builds a multi-class cell transmission model to represent the relation between traffic flow parameters. This model can calculate flows of both compliant and non-compliant vehicles. An algorithm is proposed to calculate variable speed limits for each cell of the cell transmission model. This control algorithm is designed to reduce the stop-and-go behavior of vehicles at traffic signals. Simulation is used to test the effects of VSLs on an example network. The result shows that VSL is effective at reducing the energy consumption of the whole system and reduce the likelihood of crash occurrence.
Introduction to special issue: Innovations for transport planning in China
(Journal of Transport and Land Use, 2020) Li, Zhibin; Jiao, Junfeng; Ding, Chuan
We planned this special issue in response to the new opportunities and innovations for urban transport planning in China all of which can help build the smart transportation systems of the future. In preparation for the special issue, we organized the 19th COTA International Conference of Transportation Professionals (CICTP2019) with the theme of “Transportation in China 2025” in July 2017 and recommended high-quality submissions to this special issue. In the end, we received a total of 24 valid papers. After the standard peer-review process, we accepted eight papers for the special issue, with three focusing on built environment and travel activity, three focusing on road network distribution, and two focusing on data-driven traffic modeling. The special issue also has a well-balanced research focus on different types of transport modes, with two papers on multi-modal transport, three on personal cars, two on public bikes, and one on pedestrians.
Minnesota User Based Fee Demonstration
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2021-12) Douma, Frank; Zhao, Jerry; Fonseca, Camila; Zeerak, Raihana; Lari, Adeel; Munnich, Lee; Benesh, Meredith; Loveland, Joe
The Minnesota Department of Transportation conducted a 12-month Distance Based Fee (DBF) demonstration that utilizes existing technologies embedded within Shared Mobility (SM) fleet vehicles and connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) to automatically calculate and collect the fees. As part of the demonstration, researchers at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs discussed policy considerations and implications of DBFs on privacy, equity, and administration costs, as these are often raised as obstacles to the implementation of a DBF. Researchers also conducted financial analysis, and outreach and education efforts. Lastly, researchers conducted an evaluation of the demonstration based on the administrative and political feasibility, efficiency, adequacy, and equity of DBFs. This research identified the challenges that had to be overcome to implement DBFs and the potential to deploy this model on a broader scale.
Non-linear spacing policy and network analysis for shared-road platooning
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-08) Levin, Michael; Rajamani, Rajesh; Jeon, Woongsun; Chen, Rongsheng; Kang, Di
Connected vehicle technology creates new opportunities for obtaining knowledge about the surrounding traffic and using that knowledge to optimize individual vehicle behaviors. This project creates an interdisciplinary group to study vehicle connectivity, and this report discusses three activities of this group. First, we study the problem of traffic state (flows and densities) using position reports from connected vehicles. Even if the market penetration of connected vehicles is limited, speed information can be inverted through the flow-density relationship to estimate space-and time-specific flows and densities. Propagation, according to the kinematic wave theory, is combined with measurements through Kalman filtering. Second, the team studies the problem of cyber-attack communications. Malicious actors could hack the communications to incorrectly report position, speed, or accelerations to induce a collision. By comparing the communications with radar data, the project team develops an analytical method for vehicles using cooperative adaptive cruise control to detect erroneous or malicious data and respond accordingly (by not relying on connectivity for safe following distances). Third, the team considers new spacing policies for cooperative adaptive cruise control and how they would affect city traffic. Due to the computational complexity of microsimulation, the team elects to convert the new spacing policy into a flow-density relationship. A link transmission model is constructed by creating a piecewise linear approximation. Results from dynamic traffic assignment on a city network shows that improvements in capacity reduces delays on freeways, but surprisingly route choice increased congestion for the overall city.
A Path Forward for Distance-Based User Fees (Research Brief)
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2022-05) Center for Transportation Studies
This research brief summarizes the highlights and findings for research report CTS 21-07, Minnesota User Based Fee Demonstration.
Planning for Disruption: Connected and Autonomous Vehicles
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-09) Burga, Fernando; Fisher, Tom
The future of transportation is inseparable from the future of work. Over the last century, transportation has focused on moving people and goods, but work in the 21st century has started to change dramatically due to vehicle automation, changing consumer patterns, and the rise of virtual retail. These factors will bring profound changes in transportation, infrastructure, and access to resources in the city, including housing, food, public spaces, and labor opportunities. This research project investigated the implications of the forthcoming changes in transportation, mobility, and the nature of work. It focused on the impact of vehicle automation on jobs access and explored the tensions that arise as new vehicle automation technologies are introduced into the streets of neighborhoods with historically disadvantaged residents.
Real-time urban regional route planning model for connected vehicles based on V2X communication
(Journal of Transport and Land Use, 2020) Wang, Pangwei; Deng, Hui; Zhang, Juan; Zhang, Mingfang
Advancement in the novel technology of connected vehicles has presented opportunities and challenges for smart urban transport and land use. To improve the capacity of urban transport and optimize land-use planning, a novel real-time regional route planning model based on vehicle to X communication (V2X) is presented in this paper. First, considering the traffic signal timing and phase information collected by V2X, road section resistance values are calculated dynamically based on real-time vehicular driving data. Second, according to the topology structure of the current regional road network, all predicted routes are listed based on the Dijkstra algorithm. Third, the predicted travel time of each alternative route is calculated, while the predicted route with the least travel time is selected as the optimal route. Finally, we design the test scenario with different traffic saturation levels and collect 150 sets of data to analyze the feasibility of the proposed method. The numerical results have shown that the average travel times calculated by the proposed optimal route are 8.97 seconds, 12.54 seconds, and 21.85 seconds, which are much shorter than the results of traditional navigation routes. This proposed model can be further applied to the whole urban traffic network and contribute to a greater transport and land-use efficiency in the future.

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