Advancing Road Safety and Geometric Design for Autonomous and Connected Vehicles

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Autonomous and connected vehicles, called herein automated vehicles (AV) are expected to lead to significant benefits in safety, mobility, and sustainability. The technology is emerging around the world on both passenger and freight sides. One company in the US predicts that driverless trucks will be on interstate highways by 2027 and will lead to significant cost saving (55%). The technology is emerging around the world on both passenger and freight sides. Automated vehicles have already started to appear on the roads across the globe. The AV market is valued at $54 billion in 2019 and is projected to grow to $556 billion by 2026 (10-time growth). Clearly, as the market expands, transportation professionals and researchers must address an array of challenges before AV becomes a reality in the near future. The proposed research program addresses those impacts and builds upon the applicant's 25-year research experience on highway geometric design and intelligent transportation systems. The long-term objective of the applicant's research is to develop innovative methods to achieve safe, mobile, and sustainable transportation systems for AV. The goal is to fully address both technical aspects of AV (vision for the environment and automated vehicle control) on all highway facilities. The specific short-term objectives of the proposed research program, which focuses on four types of highway facilities, are as follows: 1.Develop methods for AV operation at intersections (roundabouts and uncontrolled), including priority for emergency AV, 2.Develop methods for overtaking of AV on two-lane highways, 3.Develop AV speed models for all highways based on skid resistance which changes with the change in pavement surface conditions, 4.Develop methods for AV operation at special facilities (truck drayage/docking, work zones, and pedestrian crossings), 5.Validate the developed methods using simulation tools, and 6.Establish geometric design needs for AV for different highway facilities. The proposed research will initiate unprecedented novel development of comprehensive methods for planning and control of AV on four types of highway facilities and the establishment of AV impacts on geometric design. Specifically, the scientific contributions include: (1) establishing trajectory data for roundabouts that are essential for AV modelling and simulation, (2) developing extended theory for planning AV movements on different types of highway facilities, (3) establishing speed-control model for AV based on skid resistance, and (4) quantifying AV impacts on highway geometric design. The developed tools will promote the implementation of AV which is expected to provide significant benefits in safety, mobility, and sustainability. Many HQP will be trained in the proposed program and will be able to take key leadership positions in academia and industry in such sectors as transportation, telecom and data management, and manufacturing.