What can State Agencies Do to Take
Advantage of IV Systems? Plenty ... !
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At a recent hearing held by Arizona's Vision 21 Task Force, experts were asked to provide views on how advanced transportation technology might be adopted by the state to meet mobility and safety needs over the next twenty years. In the intelligent vehicles arena, Richard Bishop Consulting provided the following points and recommendations. The central message was this -- far from being mere spectators to the IV revolution, states agencies can be activists in this field, benefiting their own operations and the public. The Big Picture ... New Vehicle Technology Will Change Highway Transportation Significantly Over the Next Two Decades Significant opportunities and changes will result from the steady adoption of more intelligence in our cars, trucks, and buses over the next twenty years. Any comprehensive transportation planning process, to be complete, must take these trends into account. Fewer Crashes Equals Less Congestion Fender benders will decrease significantly over the next ten years as collision warning systems come on the vehicle market -- currently, accidents are the cause of about 50% of traffic congestion in urban areas. Congestion relating to incidents will drop commensurately. Provide Automated Vehicle Lanes for Significant Long Term Capacity Improvements Vehicle-highway automation -- proven on test tracks -- is expected to be ready for deployment in about 2010, as the culmination of a steady stream of intelligent vehicle innovations such as collision avoidance, lane keeping, and adaptive cruise control. An automated car will make the ride easier for the occupants, but, by itself, will not affect congestion. The decade from 2010 - 2020 is the time to adapt the road network to provide dedicated lanes for these vehicles. Dedicated lanes enable vehicles to interact cooperatively; as they move in orderly, compact streams, the capacity of a highway lane can effectively double. Planning should commence now to prepare for this transition, which may include transitioning current HOV lanes to intelligent vehicle lanes when the time is right. To this end, the Intelligent Express Lanes concept for I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson is an excellent approach and a model for other areas. The Federal Government Could Do More to Advance R&D for Mobility-Enhancing Intelligent Vehicle Systems As the private sector develops smarter vehicles, the benefits to the public will be greatly increased by a strong public sector role. Current federal R&D in this area is minor compared to the aggregate private investment, and is focused exclusively on safety systems. This approach does not go far enough -- significant capacity gains as well can be realized with intelligent vehicle systems that cooperate with the roadway. States can send a message to Washington to increase and broaden R&D funding for cooperative vehicle-highway systems that can address both safety and mobility. The timing of such a message is particularly important now, as Congress is in the early phases of considering elements of the next transportation authorization legislation. Taking Advantage of Intelligent Vehicle Systems: Opportunities for Public Agencies (For more information, see the IVsource.net article, Arizona Vision21 Task Force Considers Intelligent Vehicles, ITS)
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For more information ... ... check out Arizona Vision21 Task Force Considers Intelligent Vehicles, ITS at IVsource.net ... or contact us at editor@IVsource.net [Top] |
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Copyright 2000: IVsource.net and Richard Bishop Consulting (RBC). All Rights Reserved. |
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