AASHTO Journal - Video: AASHTO Knowledge Session Discusses CAVs

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently issued a video report on a knowledge session moderated by Julie Lorenz (above), at the time secretary of the Kansas Department of Transportation, held during its 2022 Annual Meeting in Orlando that focused on the future of connected and autonomous vehicles or CAVs.

[Above image by AASHTO]

That session also delved into the impacts of decisions made by the Federal Communications Commission on wireless spectrum availability and how that affects transportation safety and CAV operations.

In 2021, AASHTO issued an eight-page policy paper that outlined the 10 principles espoused by the organization to help advance the development of CAV technology.

Scott Marler, director of the Iowa Department of Transportation and chair of the AASHTO Committee on Transportation System Operations, noted in Congressional testimony given in February 2022 that CAVs can play a major role in improving transportation safety, equity, and sustainability.

“I firmly believe, as do the other state DOTs, that the deployment of CAVs will greatly improve the safety, equity, and sustainability of the nation’s transportation system,” Marler explained in his testimony.

“CAVs represent an important part of a multimodal transportation ecosystem, which we broadly refer to as cooperative automated transportation, with a focus on integrating connected and automated vehicle technologies for all existing and emerging modes of surface transportation,” he added.

“Iowa, like all state DOTs, are infrastructure owners and operators (IOOs) that play a fundamental role in advancing, operating, and maintaining the physical and digital infrastructure necessary to support intelligent transportation systems,” Marler pointed out.

“The state DOTs have been focused on preparing for a more automated future, a term we call ‘readiness,’ by focusing on interoperable, reliable, and consistent infrastructure – both physical and digital – [along with] a cohesive vision, collaborative partnerships, funding, and clear policy,” he said.