With self-driving cars and buses on the horizon, a bipartisan pair of lawmakers wants more communities to address their transportation needs using new technology, data and other smart solutions. Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) unveiled legislation on Thursday designed to boost innovative, first-of-its-kind transportation systems around the country.

The objective of this project is to develop a consensus Connected Road Classification System (CRCS) that will be useful to state and local departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations that are planning or implementing CV- and HAV-compatible infrastructure. Vehicle original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and other private-sector interests (e.g., other HAV developers, transportation network companies, digital map providers, cellular telecommunications companies) must be involved in the development to ensure that the system is relevant to their development plans

General Motors Co. is testing a safety feature in Macomb County to warn drivers that traffic signals are about to turn red. And in what is believed to be a first “connected” construction zone in the nation, test cars on a section of Interstate 75 in Oakland County can read high-tech roadside bar codes which communicate what lanes are closed up ahead. Even the reflective strips on workers’ safety vests contain information that identifies them as people instead of traffic barrels.

IF YOU'RE A human driver, road construction probably annoys you: one more thing clogging traffic on your way home. If you're a self-driving car, though, it can be devastating. Work zones flummox the future rulers of our roads because they override or obliterate the sturdy markers by which the vehicles are taught to navigate. With no warning, they enter a world where cones trump double yellow lines, bollards replace curbs, and construction worker hand signals outweigh traffic lights.

To achieve the maximum benefit, the Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Deployment Guidance and Products requires a thorough read of this material (i.e., the “guidance”) and the full use of the associated products (i.e., the “products” in V2I Products). In addition, this document has numerous references to sources of information (see References), including relevant research articles, guidance materials, codification of general and permanent rules or laws, and pertinent websites. Some of the websites contain invaluable products that should be bookmarked or saved for future reference. The references are supplemental information that will broaden the reader’s knowledge. At the same time, they ensure this document remains concise without providing an exhaustive discussion on a given topic. Use of the guidance, products, and references can facilitate a smooth and effective V2I deployment. 

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is incorporated by reference in 23 CFR part 655, subpart F, approved by the Federal Highway Administration, and recognized as the national standard for traffic control devices used on all public roads. The purpose of this final rule is to revise standards, guidance, options, and supporting information relating to maintaining minimum levels of retroreflectivity for traffic signs on all roads open to public travel. 

A number of States have been approached about erecting signs for the USDOT’s Marine Highway program, administered by MARAD. The Marine Highway system essentially promotes transport of goods via navigable waterways as an alternative to landside highways. Each Marine Highway waterway is designated with a route number that corresponds to the nearest Interstate highway that it roughly approximates as an alternative route between destinations. The route number is preceded by “M-” (e.g., M-95 runs along the East Coast as an alternative to I-95).
 

The Federal Highway Administration announced a memorandum to issue an Interim Approval  for the optional use of two-stage bicycle turn boxes.

Over the past two decades, as researchers have gained more knowledge about driver visibility needs and aging driver population trends, some transportation agencies have begun to use longitudinal pavement markings that are wider than the 4-inch minimum for standard centerline, edge line, or lane line applications. This report describes a project with two primary activities. The first activity was identifying the current use of wider markings among transportation agencies in the United States, Canada, and other countries. The second activity was a review of the technical literature related to wider markings, with a particular emphasis on
previous studies of the costs and benefits of using wider markings. This research report summarizes the significant findings from the project.