Synergizing Roadway Infrastructure Investment with Digital Infrastructure for Infrastructure-Based Connected Vehicle Applications: Review of Current Status and Future Directions

Abstract

The safety, mobility, environmental, energy, and economic benefits of transportation systems, which are the focus of recent Connected Vehicles (CVs) programs, are potentially dramatic. However, realization of these benefits largely hinges on the timely integration of the digital technology into the existing transportation infrastructure. CVs must be enabled to broadcast and receive data to and from other CVs (Vehicle-to-Vehicle, or V2V, communication), to and from infrastructure or V2I, communication) and to and from other road users, such as bicyclists or pedestrians (Vehicle-to-Other road users communication). Further, for V2I-focused applications, the infrastructure and the transportation agencies that manage it must be able to collect, process, distribute, and archive these data quickly, reliably, and securely. This paper focuses V2I applications, and studies current digital roadway infrastructure initiatives. It highlights the importance of including digital infrastructure investment alongside investment in more traditional transportation infrastructure to keep up with the auto industry's push towards connecting vehicles to other vehicles. By studying the current CV testbeds and Smart City initiatives, this paper identifies digital infrastructure components (i.e., communication options and computing infrastructure) being used by public agencies. It also examines public agencies' limited budgeting for digital infrastructure, and finds current expenditure is inadequate for realizing the potential benefits of V2I applications. Finally, the paper presents a set of recommendations, based on a review of current practices and future needs, designed to guide agencies responsible for transportation infrastructure. It stresses the importance of collaboration for establishing national and international platforms for the planning, deployment, and management of digital infrastructure to support connected transportation systems across political jurisdictions. potential for vehicles to "talk" to each other (via Vehicle-to-Vehicle communication, or V2V), to pedestrians (via Vehicle-to-Pedestrian communication, or V2P) as well as to transportation infrastructure (via Vehicle-to-Infrastructure communication, or V2I). Potential benefits from real-time communication between the elements of the transportation system are dramatic (Chang et al., 2015, He et al., 2012. For example, Connected Vehicles, or CVs (also referred to as "Vehicles with Connectivity"), which broadcast their data to infrastructure and other vehicles, could give drivers advance warning of impending collisions in time to avert dangerous circumstances, dramatically reducing crash damage, injuries, and fatalities. V2I connectivity between vehicles and "digital roadways," which feature roadside devices and backend computation infrastructure, could ensure safe and efficient traffic management in real time, which is not present on public roads today. CVs can benefit the environment with 9,400 tons of annual emission savings for an area covering 45 kilo-meters (28...

More Than Smart Pavements: Connected Infrastructure for Enhanced Winter Safety and Resilience on Highways

“…Investigate the transformation of physical roadway infrastructure for the needs of VII applications, build resilience into highways, and tap into the opportunities of improving the design, health monitoring and diagnosis, preservation, and utility of roads, bridges, tunnels, culverts, and RIAs, while reducing their life-cycle cost and environmental footprints. Roadway digital infrastructure components [courtesy of Khan et al 2019]…”

“…This commentary agrees that as part of the transportation cyber-physical system (TCPS), the physical infrastructure of roadways should be "upgraded with digital (ICT) infrastructure that evolves with increasing CV penetration levels (so as to) create an environment suitable for fostering bene cial V2I innovations" [Khan et al 2019]. This is critical for enabling the timely and reliable sensing, processing and communication of the unprecedented amount of data available in the VII environment.…”

“…Boban et al [2016] proposed an architecture of the 5G V2X network, embodied in a heterogeneous multi-radio V2X network designed to leverage the strengths of "cellular systems in centimeter (cmWave) and millimeter (mmWave) frequency bands, vehicular visible light communication (VVLC)" and DSRC/WAVE. The computing infrastructure, either distributed or centralized, is also a key player in the TCPS to enable smart and seamless mobility, and should be planned, designed, deployed, operated and maintained properly [Khan et al 2019]. To attain outstanding performance and reliability of V2X applications, innovations are also expected in the eld of information technology in terms of system design, hardware and software, by tapping into recent advances in blockchain and edge computing [Liu et al 2018 ultralow latency 5G scenario, where networking technologies (cloud computing, mobile edge computing, and software de ned networking) were integrated to provide ubiquitous network connectivity and e cient computing to support V2X communications.…”

More Than Smart Pavements: Connected Infrastructure Paves the Way for Enhanced Winter Safety and Mobility on Highways

“…The computing infrastructure, either distributed or centralized, also plays a crucial role in the TCPS to enable smart and seamless mobility, and should be planned, designed, deployed, operated and maintained properly [Khan et al 2019]. To attain outstanding performance and reliability of V2X applications, this Commentary sees that innovations are needed in the eld of information technology in terms of system design, hardware and software.…”

Optimization of vehicle speed forecasting horizont on the intercity highway

“…The advantages of the technology of Connected Vehicles (CV) are generally recognized at present [10,11]. CVs represent so-called V2I communication, including improved security, increased environmental sustainability, increased mobility, and so on.…”