WEB EXCLUSIVE: Transportation revolution

By: Shailen P. Bhatt

Less than 10 years ago, smartphones revolutionized how we communicate, how we work and how we interact with others. Just a few years ago, the concept of hailing an Uber car to take you where you needed within minutes was relatively unheard of. Technology is rapidly changing our lives, but there has not been a monumental change in everyday transportation since the early 1900s when cars began to be mass-produced and affordable for the average American. Access to cars completely changed our country and how we travel—and now we are at the beginning of our next transportation revolution, thanks to technology.

It is unlikely a person born today will learn how to manually drive a vehicle. Major automakers are moving quickly to embed driver-assistance technology into vehicles and develop fully self-driving vehicles. I believe it is the responsibility of every department of transportation to work hand-in-hand with the private sector to ensure that these technology-transformed vehicles are not working independently, but are connected to a transportation and infrastructure system that is secure and protected from cyber threats. At the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), we have launched RoadX, our vision and commitment to embrace innovative technology to transform transportation across our state—leading to travel that is free of crashes, injuries and delays.

Why RoadX?

In Colorado, we likely face many of the same transportation and infrastructure challenges as other states—we are low on funding, our population is booming, congestion is hurting our economy and crashes are leading to thousands of traffic injuries and fatalities. We know we cannot just build our way out of these issues. With RoadX, CDOT is pursuing a connected future that not only could reduce crashes by 80%, but also improve the capacity of our existing highways. We are working toward that connected future now, pursuing projects that deliver:

• Improved, localized driving, safety and navigation apps using real-time data;
• Connected vehicles and drivers with the capacity to “talk” to each other, helping to prevent crashes and improve the flow of traffic;
• Smarter trucking that moves goods and services more efficiently, for the benefit of communities and industry;
• Improved, smarter systems in infrastructure, like intelligent ramps that help improve the flow of traffic and decrease the need for additional lanes;
• Infrastructure that “talks” to cars, like smart pavement or virtual guardrails, to prevent and eliminate crashes; and
• Infrastructure that improves sustainability of our environment such as developing inductive charging in roadways to support electric vehicles.

For each of these projects, CDOT is committed to ensuring that the data and systems used are secure and protected against cyber attacks that could result in theft of personal information or disruption of services. Cyber security is key to the success of the RoadX program. 

How can it be done?

You may be asking, “How can a state DOT possibly have the expertise and funding to accomplish these complicated initiatives?” We looked to the experts that have just as much stake in the game as a government organization does—the private sector. From its inception, RoadX has focused on partnering with private industry to pursue innovative ideas and tap into their expertise to ensure technologies are securely deployed. We are committed to making Colorado the state where industry demonstrates and deploys technology that will revolutionize travel. Simply put, we have told the private sector: “We have the will and the infrastructure. You have the ideas and the tools. Colorado is open for business.”

In just the last year, we have developed partnerships with major industry players, including:

• OTTO—we partnered with OTTO to complete the world’s first commercial delivery by a self-driving truck;
• Panasonic—together we are building a replicable platform for connected transportation where vehicles and infrastructure share instantaneous data and information about road and safety conditions; and
• HERE—on I-70 through the Colorado Rockies, one of the most geographically challenging corridors in the nation, we are pursuing cellular connected-vehicle technology to provide drivers with access to the most real-time data possible to help them make better-informed decisions while traveling.

While we are still in the early years of RoadX, we are moving full steam ahead with embracing technology. Allow me to dive a little deeper into some of the major projects CDOT is working on and successes we have already experienced.

Current projects and initiatives

OTTO and CDOT—Pursuing autonomous commercial deliveries

In October of this year, we had the opportunity to partner with OTTO and make history, completing the world’s first commercial delivery by a self-driving truck. I got to join the convoy that monitored the truck, and I can honestly say it was one of the most exciting and boring things I have ever experienced. From the outside, it looked just like another semi driving down the highway, except this one stayed right in the middle of its lane for the entire 120-mile journey. It had to respond to things every other vehicle on the road had to—slowdowns due to traffic, vehicles passing and merging in front of it, and curves in the road—and it did so seamlessly.

By demonstrating that self-driving trucking is not only possible, but also safe, we are getting closer to a reality of smarter trucking. Soon we will have self-driving trucks that can platoon and drive within inches of each other to reduce wind resistance and increase fuel efficiency. If trucks can drive themselves and just be monitored by someone in the vehicle, they can travel during the night or early morning, reducing the impact on highways during commuting hours. More efficient trucking could even mean lower prices for consumers.

While this was just a single demonstration, we plan to continue working with OTTO and others to deploy this technology, and truly transform the trucking industry and improve safety on our roadways.