In 2015, the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) selected Wyoming as one of three sites to develop, test, and deploy a suite of connected vehicle (CV) applications on a 402-mi Interstate 80 corridor. One of the Wyoming’s key CV applications is the variable speed limit (VSL) warning, which aimed to provide commercial truck drivers with real-time regulatory and advisory speed limits to help in better managing speeds under adverse weather conditions, and reducing potential speed variances that may cause traffic collisions. This paper developed a driving simulator testbed to assess the impact of the Wyoming’s CV-based VSL (CV-VSL) application on truck drivers’ behavior under adverse weather conditions. A total of 18 professional truck drivers were recruited to participate in the driving simulator experiment. Participants’ instantaneous speeds at various locations were collected to reveal the impact of the CV-VSL warnings on their driving behavior. Simulation results showed that when the advisory speed limits were lower than 55 mph, participants generally followed the VSLs displayed on the CV human–machine interface (HMI). In addition, traffic flows utilizing CV-VSL technology tend to exhibit lower average speeds and speed variances compared with baseline scenarios. These effects of CV-VSL warnings can bring potential safety benefits, as reduction in average speeds and speed variances are effective surrogate measures of safety, that is, lower risk of crashes, under adverse weather conditions.
In Wyoming, because of the high likelihood of dangerous winter driving conditions, truck-related crashes on the freeway have resulted in remarkable fatalities, extended closures, and significant economic losses. The emerging connected vehicle (CV) technology has the potential to communicate road and traveler information to commercial truck drivers, which would eventually promote traffic safety. Nevertheless, currently there is a lack of a systems training program to deliver the CV technology to truck drivers. This paper developed a CV training program which contained an e-learning conceptual education module and a hands-on driving simulator training module. The e-learning module presented the concept of various CV warnings and notifications, including forward collision warning (FCW), distress notification (DN), and traveler information messages (TIMs). The hands-on driving simulator training module provided participants with a simulated environment where they could practice the CV warnings that they had met during the e-learning. Five simulation scenarios were provided to the participants, including two single-alert scenarios and three multiple-alert scenarios. A quiz section in the e-learning module and a comprehensive post-training questionnaire survey within the hands-on module were employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed CV training program. Based on the feedback of 18 professional snowplow truck drivers from the Wyoming Department of Transportation, it was found that the proposed training program provided truck drivers with up-to-date knowledge and experience on CV technology.
Purpose
This paper aims to present a summary of the performance measurement and evaluation plan of the Wyoming connected vehicle (CV) Pilot Deployment Program (WYDOT Pilot).
Design/methodology/approach
This paper identified 21 specific performance measures as well as approaches to measure the benefits of the WYDOT Pilot. An overview of the expected challenges that might introduce confounding factors to the evaluation effort was outlined in the performance management plan to guide the collection of system performance data.
Findings
This paper presented the data collection approaches and analytical methods that have been established for the real-life deployment of the WYDOT CV applications. Five methodologies for assessing 21 specific performance measures contained within eight performance categories for the operational and safety-related aspects. Analyses were conducted on data collected during the baseline period, and pre-deployment conditions were established for 1 performance measures. Additionally, microsimulation modeling was recommended to aid in evaluating the mobility and safety benefits of the WYDOT CV system, particularly when evaluating system performance under various CV penetration rates and/or CV strategies.
Practical implications
The proposed performance evaluation framework can guide other researchers and practitioners identifying the best performance measures and evaluation methodologies when conducting similar research activities.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research that develops performance measures and evaluation plan for low-volume rural freeway CV system under adverse weather conditions. This paper raised some early insights into how CV technology might achieve the goal of improving safety and mobility and has the potential to guide similar research activities conducted by other agencies.
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