06-Infrastructure Guidelines for IOOs to Support Automated Road Transportation
Date and Time: Tuesday, July 30, 2024: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Location: Indigo BC
Paul Carlson
Owner, Automated Roads
Presentation Description
In December 2023, FHWA published the 11th Edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). This document marks the first time that the FHWA has provided automated vehicles guidelines for agencies to consider as they plan, operate, and maintain their roadway network. The new AV material in the MUTCD is contained in a new Part (i.e., Chapter). Part 5 is titled, Traffic Control Device Considerations for Automated Vehicles (AVs) and was developed to provide agencies with general considerations for vehicle automation as they assess their infrastructure needs and prepare their roadways for AV technologies to support the safe integration of AVs. Part 5 has two main sections. Part 5A includes some basic content, mostly pulled from SAE J3016 in terms of definitions. Part 5B includes specific traffic control provisions designed to support AV deployment, while also enhancing safety of legacy road users.
While the MUTCD is owned and maintained by the FHWA, most of the MUTCD content is developed, vetted, and finalized within the National Committee of Uniform Traffic Control devices (NCUTCD). The NCUTCD has an AV Task Force specifically established to understand and bring infrastructure thoughts and ideas to the forefront so that their technical and safety merit can be considered as new MUTCD is drafted and readied for the NCUTCD vetting process. The co-authors of this abstract are the leaders of the NCUTCD AV Task Force and intend to be at ITSA America to present this proposed poster.
The purpose of the poster is to share the new material from the MUTCD designed to support safe deployment of AVs. In addition, another purpose of the poster is to encourage more discussion and collaboration between IOOs and AV industry representatives. Hopeful outcomes would include new connections, new ideas for what should be considered moving forward, and opportunities to further expand collaboration efforts with valuable stakeholders.
Speaker Biography
Paul Carlson is the Chair of the CAV Committee within the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control (NCUTCD). The CAV Committee is responsible for vetting and developing National recommendations related to the uniform application of traffic control devices as they can support the safe deployment of CAVs. Paul has chaired the CAV Committee since its inception in 2017. The CAV Committee's work was key in the development of Part 5 of the 11th Edition of the MUTCD, "Traffic Control Device Considerations for Automated Vehicles (AVs)."
Paul started his career at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and worked there for over 20 years. He left in 2018 to start a company focused on understanding and preparing roadways for CAVs. Paul continues to work for an array of clients including FHWA, state DOTS, and various industry companies.
Paul's degrees are all in Civil Engineering. His PhD is from Texas A&M and his BS and MS degrees are from Penn State. He is a registered Professional Engineer.
Paul resides in North Carolina with his wife and only child who is attending NC State as a freshman in engineering.
Presentation File
Infrastructure Guidelines for IOOs to Support Automated Road Transportation
Category
Infrastructure Technology Supporting Road Vehicle Automation