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B-1Â Â A P P E N D I X B Stakeholdersâ Current Conditions and Critical Gaps and Challenges by Topic Area The survey presented in Appendix A helped identify current gaps opportunities for connected vehicles to help rural agencies overcome those gaps for the six topic areas. The following sections detail the findings for each area. Road Weather Management This topic area investigates using connected vehicles to collect and disseminate weather and road condition data with focus on unique rural situations (fog, wind, ice, snow, dust, etc.). Connected vehicle technologies allow agencies to collect weather-related probe data, significantly increasing the number of environmental sensor data points from which to draw weather information. These increased data sets can significantly improve operational analyses and the quality of decision support and information dissemination. Additionally, rural agencies will have the ability to directly communicate with vehicle occupants to provide weather-related traffic information and warnings to improve safety and mobility. Thirty-three respondents listed their agencyâs current capabilities in road weather management in rural areas. Figure B-1 illustrates the distribution of their answers. As can be seen, data collection and dissemination seem to be common capabilities. Conversely, the use of advanced data analytics and support systems for enhanced decisionmaking is not as common. (Source: Noblis 2020.) Figure B-1. Current capabilities for rural road weather management.
B-2 Initiating the Systems Engineering Process for Rural Connected Vehicle Corridors identified lack of situational awareness of localized or rapidly changing road conditions as a highly critical issue. Additionally, around 40% identified lack of timely data/reports as a highly critical issue. (Source: Noblis 2020.) Figure B-2. Criticality of gaps and challenges in rural road weather management. A few respondents also noted additional, more basic, challenges from an infrastructure perspective. Specifically, issues with getting power and providing maintenance to sensors and signs in remote areas were highlighted as critical challenges. Traffic Conditions and Work Zones This topic area focuses on unique issues in rural areas, including overcoming challenges in long distances between cities or services as well as significant rerouting distances and fewer detour options for work zones. Connected vehicles provide the opportunity for rural agencies to have greater access to probe data sets that can enhance their operational capabilities. Connected vehicles also provide rural agencies with greater access to disseminate traveler information on traffic conditions and work zones. Thirty respondents listed their agencyâs current capabilities for monitoring traffic condition and work zone management in rural areas. Figure B-3 illustrates the distribution of their answers. As can be seen, collecting probe data from 3rd party data providers and disseminating work zone information seem to be common capabilities. Work zones seemed to have the most issues, with consistent and timely updates (e.g., location and status) being the least common capabilities. The survey respondents were asked to rate the level of criticality of selected gaps and challenges for road weather management in rural areas. Figure B-2 shows the distribution of their answers and highlights the gaps and challenges with the highest level of criticality (see boxed entries). As can be seen, almost two-thirds of the respondents
Stakeholdersâ Current Conditions and Critical Gaps and Challenges by Topic Area B-3Â Â (Source: Noblis 2020.) Figure B-3. Current capabilities for rural traffic conditions (top) and rural work zone management (bottom). Survey respondents were asked to rate the level of criticality of selected gaps and challenges for traffic condition monitoring and work zone management in rural areas. Figure B-4 shows the distribution of their answers and highlights the gaps and challenges with the highest level of criticality (see boxed entries). As can be seen, around half of respondents identified limited coverage and lack of real-time information as the most critical gaps and challenges. Additionally, around 40% identified having a high number of incidents at or near work zones as a highly critical issue.
B-4 Initiating the Systems Engineering Process for Rural Connected Vehicle Corridors (Source: Noblis 2020.) Figure B-4. Criticality of gaps and challenges in rural traffic conditions and work zone management. Incident Management and Response This topic area focuses on incident response needs in rural areas that may lack communication, have long response times, difficult detours, and challenges in collecting incident data. With a combination of connected vehicles, rural agencies will be able to collect an enhanced set of incident data to assist with operational strategies. These applications will allow users (e.g., driver, non-driver, or vehicle system) to initiate requests for emergency assistance and enable emergency management systems to locate the user, gather information about the incident, and determine the appropriate response. Thirty respondents listed their agencyâs current capabilities for incident management and response in rural areasâsee Figure B-5 for the distribution of their answers. As can be seen, collecting information from field officers/responders and disseminating incident information seem to be common capabilities. However, only half of the respondents seem to be able to efficiently coordinate responses across agencies.
Stakeholdersâ Current Conditions and Critical Gaps and Challenges by Topic Area B-5Â Â (Source: Noblis 2020.) Figure B-5. Current capabilities for rural incident management and response. Survey respondents rated the level of criticality of selected gaps and challenges for incident management and response in rural areasâsee Figure B-6, note highlights of the gaps and challenges with the highest level of criticality (the boxed entries). Around half of respondents identified lack of real-time situational awareness and limited ability to quickly assess incident situations as the most critical gaps and challenges. Respondents provided comments on this, indicating that this is further exacerbated in rural arterials, which tend to have even fewer technologies deployed along their roadway. Finally, one-third of the respondents also highlighted having limited means to share information with specific groups (e.g., freight) as a highly critical issue. (Source: Noblis 2020.) Figure B-6. Criticality of gaps and challenges in rural incident management and response.
B-6 Initiating the Systems Engineering Process for Rural Connected Vehicle Corridors Rural Mobility On arterials, connected vehicles allow agencies to collect more robust probe data sets to enable greater accuracy in signal control operations, including more adaptive/responsive traffic signal systems. Additionally, these technologies can enable new methods for transit signal priority and emergency vehicle preemption systems. On freeways, connected vehicle technologies can be used to improve roadway throughput and reduce crashes through the use of frequently collected and rapidly disseminated data drawn from connected vehicles, travelers, and infrastructure. For example, speed harmonization can be used to dynamically adjust and coordinate appropriate vehicle speed in response to downstream congestion, incidents, and weather or road conditions to maximize traffic throughput and reduce crashes. Finally, connected vehicle applications can be used to integrate passenger connection protection, dynamic scheduling, dispatching, routing of transit vehicles, and dynamic ridesharing into a single system that benefits both travelers and operators. Figures B-7, B-8, and B-9 show the current capabilities of transportations agencies for arterials, freeways, and other rural mobility, respectively. On arterials, emergency vehicle preemption and traffic data collection were the most common capabilities, with transit signal priority being the least common capability. On the other hand, data collection and real-time traffic conditions were the most common capabilities for freeway mobility. Finally, ICM was identified as a capability by approximately half of the respondents. (Source: Noblis 2020.) Figure B-7. Current capabilities for rural mobility on arterials.
Stakeholdersâ Current Conditions and Critical Gaps and Challenges by Topic Area B-7Â Â (Source: Noblis 2020.) Figure B-8. Current capabilities for rural mobility on freeways. (Source: Noblis 2020.) Figure B-9. Current capabilities for other rural mobility. Figure B-10 shows how respondents rated the level of criticality for selected gaps and challenges in rural mobility and highlights those with the highest level of criticality (see boxed entries). As can be seen, the most critical issues are lack of communication infrastructure and the limited ability to warn drivers of existing and impending queues.
B-8 Initiating the Systems Engineering Process for Rural Connected Vehicle Corridors (Source: Noblis 2020.) Figure B-10. Criticality of gaps and challenges in rural mobility. Rural Safety Safety is a major challenge on rural corridors that have a large number of motor vehicle fatalities with higher frequency of accidents than found in urban areas. Rural corridors can have higher posted speed limits with large variance in travel speeds with frequent passing. These areas also have unique roadway geometries. V2I safety includes the wireless exchange of critical safety and operational data between vehicles and highway infrastructure, intended primarily to avoid motor vehicle crashes. Examples of V2I safety applications relevant to rural areas include RLVW; SSGA; CSW; SSVW; and RSZW. In addition, connected pedestrian applications offer the potential to enhance the safety of pedestrians at signalized intersections. Finally, V2V safety applications are expected to provide significant benefits in rural areas. Figure B-11 shows the current capabilities of respondents for rural safety. Almost all agencies stated using mostly static signage to convey safety messages and around half of respondents have active warning systems. Some respondents indicated sharing traveler information through other means, such as online feeds (traveler information portals). Figure B-12 presents the respondentsâ rating of criticality for rural safety and highlights the gaps and challenges with the highest level of criticality (see boxed entries). Half of the respondents identified motor vehicle incidents at non-signalized intersections as highly critical. Additionally, around one-third of respondents indicated that limited capacity for enforcement, incidents at signalized intersections, and incidents with pedestrians and bicyclists were challenges with a high level of criticality.
Stakeholdersâ Current Conditions and Critical Gaps and Challenges by Topic Area B-9Â Â (Source: Noblis 2020.) Figure B-11. Current capabilities for rural safety. (Source: Noblis 2020.) Figure B-12. Criticality of gaps and challenges for rural safety. Freight Operations Rural congestion can have a significant impact on freight movement, manufacturing processes, competitiveness, and productivity. The needs for rural freight corridors include parking, specific traveler and road conditions information, such as weather, alternate routes/diversions, height/weight restrictions, and weigh-in-motion (WIM)/e-Permitting. Connected vehicles have the potential to help improve freight operation safety, efficiency, and mobility along these corridors. Connected vehicle applications can
B-10 Initiating the Systems Engineering Process for Rural Connected Vehicle Corridors provide truck drivers with timely, accurate information and can help improve communication and coordination with state/local DOT TMCs and fleet operation centers. Figure B-13 shows the current capabilities of respondents for freight operations in rural areas. The most common capabilities were having permitting, e-screening, and weigh-in-motion systems. Conversely, direct communication with freight partners was the least common capability. (Source: Noblis 2020.) Figure B-13. Current capabilities for freight operations in rural areas. The most critical gap/challenge for respondents relates to the limitation in providing truck-parking notifications during emergenciesâsee Figure B-14. Similarly, limitations to communicate temporary road and vehicle restrictions and the presence of freight facilities causing spikes in congestion were rated as highly critical by around one-third of respondents.
Stakeholdersâ Current Conditions and Critical Gaps and Challenges by Topic Area B-11Â Â (Source: Noblis 2020.) Figure B-14. Criticality of gaps and challenges for freight operations in rural areas.
