Integrating Emerging Data Sources into Operational Practice - Capabilities and Limitations of Devices to Collect, Compile, Save, and Share Messages from Connected and Automated Vehicles and Connected Travelers

Overview

This document builds off of the publication FHWA released last fall titled, “Integrating Emerging Data Sources into Operational Practice” (FHWA-JPO-18-625).

Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) and connected travelers will be providing substantially increased levels of data which will be available for agencies to consider using to improve the management and operation of the surface transportation system. This report describes: 

1. how this data may be handled
2. what the future capabilities and potential future needs of traffic management systems and traffic management centers (TMCs) will need to be to collect, use and share this information
3. the capabilities that may be required to aggregate, assimilate, and transfer the data efficiently from the roadside equipment to the TMC.

The report summarizes a range of hardware and software issues agencies should consider. The report describes requirements, technical issues, technologies, and practices that will be necessary to collect, use and share large volumes of messages from roadside devices to the TMC. Current intelligent transportation systems (ITS) devices on the roadside typically have a one-to-one relationship with the traffic management system or center, where each device sends the data collected locally to the system. In the future, the collection and sharing of messages from CAVs and connected travelers will likely need to accommodate the distribution of information for other systems and users to consume.