Connected and Automated Vehicle Projects

Athey Creek served as the technical and program support lead for the CAT Coalition, a forum for public, private, and academia to collaborate on CAV activities. Athey Creek provided liaison support to the Infrastructure Owner Operator/Original Equipment Manufacturer (IOO/OEM) Forum, the Infrastructure-Industry Working Group, the Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) Challenge Tactical Working Group, the Technical Resources Working Group, and the Strategic Initiatives Working Group. Athey Creek coordinated the Challenge Webinar Series and supported efforts to develop the SPaT Challenge Model Concept of Operations and Requirements. Athey Creek supported the initiation of the Connected Fleet Challenge and supported development of the Infrastructure System for the Reduced Speed Zone Warning – Lane Closure (RSZW-LC) safety application. Athey Creek also led development of the Clarifications for Consistent Implementation document for Connected Signalized Intersections.

Athey Creek led a project for the Connected Vehicle Pooled Fund Study (CV PFS) to provide guidance on creating MAP messages to be used with corresponding SPaT messages for non-automated intersection approach and violation applications. The need driving this project was for connected vehicle applications to have consistent MAP messages using the available standards. The guidance was developed based on research, reviews of technical resources, and interviews with transportation agencies that have created MAP messages. The guidance is now published on the CV PFS website.

The Connected Intersections program integrates research, development, testing, and verification activities to ensure system performance as deployment continues and vehicles with connected vehicle technology become available on the market. Athey Creek supports a team and is leading the creation of Guidance Materials for this effort. Specifically, Athey Creek developed a series of technical briefs and is developing a guidance document that will synthesize the results of the program for use by infrastructure owner operators to enable successful connected intersections deployments.

Athey Creek developed a concept of operations (ConOps) and system requirements for an approach to centralize SPaT and MAP data and support cloud-based sharing of the data for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (DOT). Activities included coordinating with three other transportation agencies using the same centralized signal control system to gain insight from multiple users. The ConOps described the operation of the centralized data sharing system, and the system requirements described the required performance of the system as well as the needs for creating and maintaining geographic data sets. The project provided unique insight into how agencies might institutionalize MAP message creation, storage, and maintenance as part of the ongoing signal system maintenance.

Athey Creek served as work zone technical experts on a team, participating in writing a Concept of Operations for work zone activity data (WZAD), creating WZAD data definitions, and developing a WZAD implementation guide. Athey Creek also conducted outreach by gathering support and generating interest in utilizing the work zone data exchange (WZDE) for WZAD. Athey Creek helped drive recognition, interest, and action across multiple communication mechanisms by creating WZAD fact sheets, hosting webinars for non-traditional stakeholders, and developing a set of six best practices that document successful agency practices relative to WZAD adoption or the WZDI. To publicize the WZDI, Athey Creek helped plan and document a WZDI symposium that presented WZAD examples, key concepts, and lessons learned to gain traction for an upcoming WZDX pilot.

Iowa’s TSMO program is organized into eight service layers. Athey Creek developed a TSMO Service Layer Plan for cooperative automated transportation for the Iowa DOT. Athey Creek also led a series of workshops in Iowa and defined a series of actions to support the development of CAT throughout Iowa in an effort to increase CAT readiness. Beyond traditional technical actions, the nature of the feedback emphasized a number of policy level and business planning focused actions. The service layer plan includes descriptions of these actions that promote equitable, efficient, and sustainable integration of automated transportation systems in Iowa.