We’re trialing how connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) respond to emergency scenarios on the Virginia Express Lanes.
As a pioneer in transportation innovation, Transurban goes beyond concrete and steel solutions, delivering a first-of-its-kind dynamic pricing structure, operating the longest reversible road in the United States and, most recently, forging the way with a collaboration spanning the public safety and consumer technology sectors.
Last week, Transurban North America and our partners conducted CAV demonstrations on Transurban’s 395 Express Lanes just outside of the nation’s capital.
Project partners
These CAV demonstrations are being delivered in partnership with:
- Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
- Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI)
- Crash Avoidance Metrics Partners, LLC (CAMP LLC).
Further, the demonstrations are being funded by a $7.5 million grant from the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) to support research into automated driving systems (ADS).
Demonstration scenarios
Focused on safety, the demonstrations are putting a CAV through its paces in a series of on-road scenarios meant to challenge the vehicle and ensure its performance keeps everyone safe, both inside and outside the vehicle. Scenarios included:
- a law enforcement officer providing hand signal around a simulated crash scene
- detecting upcoming hazards out of the line of sight of the CAV through communication with the roadway technology
- navigating safely around first responders and construction workers and work zones
- forming a tight vehicle formation based on real-time speed and distance information from infrastructure increasing road density.
A second round of demonstrations will be conducted on the 395 Express Lanes in November.
