摘要: |
According to Federal Rail Administration (FRA) numbers, in 2015 there were approximately 129,582 public, at-grade highway-rail grade crossings in the United States (U.S.). Despite this large number of direct intersections between the public highway and largely private rail systems, little of the current Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Automated Vehicle/Connected Vehicle (AV/CV) research is focused on how to incorporate the railroad system and its operations/required safety information effectively into future roadway AV/CV system planning. This initial scanning project will examine how transportation agencies, contractors, and other highway system stakeholders designing future automated and connected systems can best consider freight and passenger railroad operational and infrastructure needs in the development of future AV/CV system architecture. The project will explore:
(1) information/data requirements for roadway vehicles to operate effectively near rail crossings; (2) impediments to collecting and exchanging rail operations data between public agency and private rail operators; (3) potential AV/CV implementation approaches near rail system assets that could benefit both systems; and (4) critical, necessary additional research efforts in both the short- and long-term to address future joint railroad/highway AV/CV architecture challenges. |