Since the invention of the motor car, there has been a long-standing partnership between technology and transportation.  Today, that partnership is stronger than ever, and growing in ways that were unheard of just a generation ago. This is evident in the many ongoing efforts in the automated and connected vehicle space. This evolving technology will transform the way transportation agencies deliver services to meet the ever-changing needs of 21st century mobility. Michigan is at the forefront of this technology, building on this state’s position as the global center of automotive research and development.

The Great Lakes state is home to 375 automotive research centers, and has the highest per capita concentration of industrial and mechanical engineers in the country.  The concentration of technical abilities, skills, varied geographical features, and seasonal weather conditions all make Michigan the ideal place for testing and deployment of these new technologies.  And collaboration with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, state universities, the automotive industry and STEM education networks is creating a pipeline for young talent to become engaged in these new and innovative careers.   

Over the past decade, MDOT realized that as an organization it had to do more than just design and build transportation infrastructure; MDOT also had to “operate” the system in a way that maximizes mobility and safety on limited transportation infrastructure. From the day it hung the nation’s first stop light to today, MDOT’s long and continued history of advancing transportation technology has been critical to achieving the goal of operating a safe and efficient transportation network. 

To focus on transportation operations and incorporate advances in technology, MDOT modified its organizational structure, by embedding Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) expertise throughout the department.  Each MDOT region now has an ITS liaison responsible for coordinating and implementing ITS solutions in their areas. Each MDOT region also has dedicated Operations staff who are responsible for roadway maintenance and operations-related duties.

The department developed its ITS  strategic plan with the mission to “Develop and sustain a program at MDOT to improve safety, operational performance and integration of the transportation system utilizing Intelligent Transportation System technologies for economic benefit and improved quality of life.” MDOT strives to:

• Integrate and manage ITS in its transportation systems in a sustainable way, enabling our customers to experience improved system safety, mobility and reliability.
• Be a leader and an effective partner in ITS research, development, deployment, operation, and maintenance.
• Continue to lead in the research, development and sustained deployment of Connected Vehicles. 
• Ensure the ITS program is integrated statewide, and coordinated fully and seamlessly into MDOT’s business processes.

MDOT also successfully created four Transportation Operations Centers (TOC) to manage the ITS infrastructure and devices, coordinate traffic incident responses with MDOT and emergency responders, and coordinate with road maintenance and construction activities – essentially helping operate the transportation system.  Information generated during these operational activities is shared with the public through MDOT’s MiDrive website, dedicated to providing travelers with real-time information on traffic conditions, construction details, and amenities.

The department uses operationally-based performance measures which have become a core part of the day-to-day actions of staff.  An important performance measure is user delay along primary state highways.  An example of this is the use of real-time snapshots on our traveler information website of current and expected delays along I-94 across the state, one of the region’s primary freight corridors.  MDOT also uses user delay performance measures to minimize the impacts to system users during the design and operation of work zones. In my capacity as director of the department, I frequently drive across the state, and I can say from first-hand experience that this department-wide focus on operations and minimizing delay makes a real difference in the driving experience.

These organizational changes and performance measures have enabled the department to implement several pilot projects that will further prepare MDOT for the future of transportation while also protecting Michigan’s citizens and promoting Michigan industry.  A few of these innovative efforts include:

• The continued deployment of vehicle-to-infrastructure communication technology throughout the Southeast Michigan area.  This deployment will equip 20,000 vehicles and 500 infrastructure locations on real highways and at real intersections.  This will be one of the largest real-life deployments of its kind.

• Working with commercial vehicle companies, truck stop owners and operators, and other stakeholders, MDOT created the I-94 Truck Parking Information and Management System.  The system assesses parking availability at five MDOT rest areas and at seven participating private parking facilities to provide real time information on parking availability to the commercial fleet.  It provides commercial drivers with accurate real-time information about where they can find a good night’s rest, improving safety for all highway drivers.

• MDOT, along with its partners at the Road Commission for Oakland County, started working with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and automobile manufacturers in 2005 to develop the concepts and prototype systems that serve as the basis of the national Connected Vehicle system.  The research results were used by the federal government and transportation industry to assess the effectiveness of Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) safety applications.  In February 2014, USDOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), supported by the data collected during a Safety Pilot, announced that it will begin taking steps to enable V2V communication technology for newly manufactured light vehicles.  In spring of 2015, NHTSA announced that it was accelerating that process.

• Michigan’s Governor Rick Snyder announced a new partnership between MDOT and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) creating Michigan’s first Mobility Transformation Center (MTC).  The MTC is a public and private research and development partnership that will lead a revolution in the mobility of people and freight.  The facility, branded MCity, is essentially a 32-acre outdoor laboratory. It is the world’s first full-scale simulated urban environment designed exclusively for testing the performance and safety of connected, automated and autonomous vehicles under controlled and realistic road conditions.  The facility allows for advanced mobility systems testing that includes urban and suburban streets with various lane configurations and sidewalks, bike lanes, pedestrian crossings, ADA ramps, parallel and diagonal parking, and transit turnoffs and stops.  Instrumentation is fitted throughout MCity including a control network to collect data wirelessly from traffic activity. And it’s open to the weather, so testing can be conducted in all four seasons, including Michigan’s sometimes daunting winters.

What does all this mean for the future of state DOT’s? Eventually, it will change the way we design and operate roads, interchanges and intersections.  Smarter cars will mean a smarter infrastructure.  This new relationship between infrastructure and vehicle will allow for error-free cars which will significantly drop the percentage of crashes and allow for smaller highway and road systems.  The ability of cars to communicate and platoon with each other will allow for reduced lane and clear zone widths, as well as changing other geometric requirements and easing the congestion burden.

In order to fully support automated vehicles, the infrastructure will have to be able to “speak” to these vehicles. This poses a real challenge to transportation agencies that are finding it difficult, under the current funding structure, to sustain the quality of their pavements, let alone invest in compelling new technology. This is a challenge that Michigan is currently struggling with, and a challenge that must be addressed at the national level as well, in order for transportation agencies across the country to fully embrace the new technology.    
   
In terms of social impacts, there are a couple of schools of thought.  On the one hand, driver-less automated vehicles may reduce the number of vehicles on the road, as households could use just one automated vehicle to take all the family members to their various destinations of work, school, running errands, or wherever.  On the other hand, since automated vehicles don’t need a driver, this technology could just as easily increase the number of vehicles on the road by offering independent mobility to previous non-drivers, such as the elderly or physically disabled.

The technology will improve mobility and reduce congestion even if the number of vehicles on the road increases, however.  Vehicles of tomorrow will be moving in a constant platoon flow which will manage congestion as the deployment matures.  There will be fewer – if any – crashes due to congestion, as well as improved reliability, less fuel consumption and improved air quality.

This is not an effort of one state or agency. This is a collaboration of many partners in various sectors and agencies, all working together to create the next generation of mobility. And just as the advent of new transportation technology initially helped propel economic growth, the implementation of this transforming new transportation technology with improve the economy and help ensure safety. The work Michigan is doing will foster an environment of exciting challenges and opportunities that will continue to strengthen the partnership between  transportation and technology.