Session Moderators

Moderator(s): 
Mubassira Khan, Senior Scientist, AI/ML and Advanced Data Analytics, U.S. Department of Transportation, OST-R, HAAS COE 

Ashley Nylen, Acting Assistant Director of Program Development & Strategy, U.S. Department of Transportation, Highly Automated Systems Safety Center of Excellence

Gunnar Rhone, Engineering Specialist, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

William Houpt, Federal Highway Administration

Session Organizers

Organizers:
Federal Automation Grant Programs:

Proposal Submitter Name and Organization:
Lead Organizer 1: Ashley Nylen
Lead Organizer 1 Organization: USDOT Highly Automated Systems Safety Center of Excellence (HASS COE)

Lead Organizer 2: Mubassira Khan,
Lead Organizer 2 Organization: USDOT HASS COE

ADS Grant Update:

Proposal Submitter Name and Organization:
Lead Organizer 1: Gunnar Rhone
Lead Organizer 1 Organization: PennDOT

Lead Organizer 2: William Houpt
Lead Organizer 2 Organization: USDOT FHWA

TRB Sponsoring Committees and Partners

Session Description and Agenda

Description

Please note: this is a split session - with one session focused on several USDOT federal automation grant programs and the second session (following the afternoon break), featuring an Automated Driving Systems Demonstration Grants Update (ADS Demo grants).

SESSION 1: Federal Automation Grant Programs Tag Up – Lessons Learned and Collaboration Space

In recent years, several federal discretionary grant programs ADS Demo grants, Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART), Accelerating Innovation Mobility (AIM), Section 5312, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems for Transit Buses Demonstration and Automated Bus Maintenance and Yard Operations) have or are in the midst of conducting scientific research and/or deployment of practical automated transportation technology (infrastructure- physical and digital, vehicle, automated driving systems) into the transportation system. These programs and efforts have resulted in significant lessons learned regarding both data and practical deployment of highly automated transportation systems, but rarely have these lessons been widely available or reached significant audiences. In an unprecedented fashion, this session will bring together several federal discretionary grant programs to hear from deployers to capture key lessons learned, themes and considerations in practical deployment and scientific research in roadway automation. The session will produce a brief on major themes and lessons learned for public, private and academic stakeholders to consider in future practical and research automation deployments.

SESSION 2: ADS Grant Update - Safely Integrating ADS on our Nation's Roadways

In 2019, USDOT awarded $60 million in grant funding to eight automated driving system demonstration projects across the United States. The main goal – to test the safe integration of automated vehicles into America’s transportation system while ensuring that legitimate concerns about safety, security, and privacy are addressed. With projects nearing completion, this session will bring together three of the project teams to present early results and lessons learned as well as discuss final stages of the projects. Results from on-track and on-road vehicle testing will be presented with an emphasis on 2023 and 2024 tests and results.

Agenda

SESSION 1: Federal Automation Grant Programs Tag Up – Lessons Learned and Collaboration Space
• 1:30 - 1:35pm Welcome/Introduction/Session Goals/Agenda - Ashley Nylen and Mubassira Khan (USDOT, HASS)

• 1:35pm - 2:00pm USDOT Lightning Round (Awarded Grant Programs featuring automation in the last 5 years)
 ADS Demo Grant (Ian Berg, Volpe)
 SMART (Madeline Zhu, USDOT OST, Policy Advisor)
 FMCSA (Bryan Barnette, FMCSA)
 FTA Demonstration projects (Danyell Diggs & Steven Mortensen, FTA)
 FHWA Pooled Fund Study (PFS) Program (Tricia Sergeson, FHWA)

• 2:00pm - 2:20pm Hear from the Grantees – Major Successes and Lessons Learned
 San Francisco County Transportation Authority – Aliza Paz, Planning
 University of Iowa, ADS Demonstration grantee (University of Iowa, Cheryl Roe, AV Transportation & Outreach Specialist)
 Colorado Department of Transportation - SMART grantee (Colorado Department of Transportation, Heather Pickering-Hilgers, Assistant Director of Mobility)
 DriveOhio – ADS Demonstration Grantee (freight feature) (DriveOhio, Preeti Choudary, Executive Director)

• 2:20 – 2:55pm Around the Grants Open House (Interactive – audience members have 10 – 15 minutes to visit each grant program station (open house style) to discuss and ask questions with each federal program: SMART Program, ADS Demo Grant Program, FMCSA, FHWA Pooled Fund Study (PFS), and FTA.

• 2:55pm Thank and Close Session (Ask audience members to post one sticky note on the activity board on the one lesson they learned and one suggestion to the USDOT today as they leave the room)

• 3:00pm BREAK

SESSION 2: ADS Grant Update - Safely Integrating ADS on our Nation's Roadways
• 3:30pm - 3:40pm Welcome and Introduction (Moderator: Mubassira Khan, USDOT HASS)
• 3:40pm - 4:00pm ADS Demonstration Grant Team 1: Safe Integration of Automated Vehicles in Work Zones (Gunnar Rhone, PennDOT and Jonathan Riehl, HTNB)
• 4:00pm - 4:20pm ADS Demonstration Grant Team 2: Automated Vehicles for All (Reza Langari, Texas A&M)
• 4:20pm - 4:40pm ADS Demonstration Grant Team 3: Safely Operating ADS in Public Safety Interactions (Mike Mollenhauer, VTTI)
• 4:40pm - 5:00pm Q&A and Discussion (Mubassira Khan)

Session Objectives

Session 1: Federal Automation Grant Programs:
• One stop session featuring several USDOT federal automation grant recipients
• Key lessons learned in practical and research automation deployment across a variety of modes and grant sources
• Future considerations for federal, state and local practical and research automation deployments
• Deployment of publicly available two pager on Lessons Learned (bullet 2) and Future Considerations (bullet 3) within one month of the workshop

Session 2: ADS Grant Update:
• Learn from the nation’s top automated vehicle researchers on the current status of real-world AV operations.
• Find out how AVs perform in unique environments such as work zones and rural roads with no pavement markings.
• Learn about situations where automation has worked well and where there is room for improvement.
• Understand how support systems such as connected vehicle technology, detailed maps, digital twins, and more help AVs more safely and precisely navigate their environments.
• See real vehicle data from automated vehicle tests.