Connected and Automated Vehicles
Preparing North Texas for a future of connected and automated transportation.
Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) is the collective term for an array of interconnected technologies.
Connected vehicle technology represents communications technologies that function vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-cloud or other communication destinations. Together, these are often referred to as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies.
Automated vehicles are vehicles equipped with technology that allows them offer everything from advanced driver assistance, parking assistance, and even includes fully self-driving capabilities. These technologies follow a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 represents cruise control and anti-lock braking features, and 5 represents the highest functioning self-driving tech.
Considered together, these technologies are already leading to innovative approaches to transportation and infrastructure design and operations. Increasingly, traffic signals are sharing data with each other and with vehicles on the road, automakers are equipping their new-model vehicles with data collection and sharing technology, and open-source transportation data tools are becoming a feature of everyday life (e.g., Waze).
The technology is developing quickly, and here at NCTCOG, not only are we keeping a close eye on the state of the art, but we're also ensuring that North Texas is a leader in preparing and implementing the best of these technologies.
Goals and Partnerships
NCTCOG seeks to advance the development and deployment of emerging technologies that will deliver safer and more efficient transportation for the North Texas region. This technology includes vehicle automation, such as autonomous vehicles (AVs), and technologies that will provide improved real-time information to drivers and vehicles in North Texas. Through smart use of transportation technology, North Texans may be able to maximize value out of our transportation assets, improving the economy and prioritizing the quality of life in the region.
The Automated Vehicle Program at NCTCOG acts as a liaison between AV developers and local and state partners. We connect the technology to the community.
Connected and Automated Vehicles, or C/AV, indicates two distinct technologies that are developing along parallel tracks. That is, they’re both headed in the same direction: self-driving cars able to communicate with each other and their environment.
Communicating with each other refers to technology that signals intent, direction, speed, and other navigational data to surrounding vehicles; communicating with their environment refers to technology that allows vehicles to communicate with “smart” infrastructure and allows them to connect with cloud and edge computing architectures.
A variety of forces are driving the development of connected and automated vehicle technology—three leading factors are (1) safety, (2) more efficient roadway operations, and (3) growing demand for more mobility options.
Tens of thousands of people die on US roadways each year, most of those incidents are caused by human error--those working on self-driving technologies are often motivated by a desire to reduce the risks of driving. We’re running out of right-of-way, or so it seems to most of us. Roadway authorities are feeling the pressure of fighting congestion without recourse to more lane expansions—meaning, they need to find ways to do more with what the roads that they already have. This is another big opportunity that CAV developers are trying to address: How to make our existing roadways more efficient and, thus, reduce our need to build more lanes.
Data from the National Household Traffic Survey shows that the bulk of all trips are five miles or less. Looking at transportation spending you wouldn’t think that’s the case—we spend most of our money on the long commute, not the short trip. Micro-mobility (bikes, scooters) are showing that everyday people are feeling that shortfall and responding by jumping on scooters.
The timeline for widespread automated vehicle adoption will vary, but one thing is certain: they are already on the roads. Active deployments are underway across the country, throughout Texas, and within our region. While automated vehicles may not replace today's fleets in large numbers for at least another decade, you will likely encounter them on campuses, along specific corridors, or connecting communities to transit hubs. It will be a long and bumpy road before they are everywhere but tomorrow will arrive quickly and preparation is essential. Explore current efforts through the TxDOT's Autonomous Vehicle Deployments application.
Automated Vehicle 2.0 Program
Advance planning, partnership, and investment into AVs in North Central Texas
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