The Wyoming Department of Transportation Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded grants to three sites to test and deploy advanced connected vehicle (CV) technologies for improving safety and mobility. One of these sites, Wyoming, is unique in its emphasis on weather impacts to Interstate 80 (I-80); a vital east-west connector for freight and passenger travel. Running 402 miles along the southern border of the state, this section of I-80 averages more than 32 million tons of freight deliveries per year. Seasonally, freight trucks account for as high as 70 percent of total traffic volume. Blowing snow, icy roads, fog, and high winds occur throughout the year along the corridor, creating dangerous conditions. A lack of alternative routes results in significant economic impacts should the corridor be shut down due to adverse conditions or pile up crashes.

As winter 2018-2019 approaches, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) and Pilot team have been outfitting I-80 with 75 roadside units, which will receive and broadcast CV messages using Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) technology. Additionally, about 400 vehicles will be equipped with DSRC-connected onboard units to broadcast basic safety messages (BSMs) and share alerts and advisories. A subset of the WYDOT fleet will also collect environmental data using mobile weather sensors. The Pikalert® System will ingest these vehicle messages, quality check them, and process them with weather observations to produce hazardous weather alerts and forecasts. All drivers on I-80 will benefit from improved traveler information messages through Wyoming’s 511 app, the commercial vehicle operator portal (CVOP), and roadside message signs. Additionally, vehicles with onboard units will benefit from the pilots five CV-based applications designed to improve safety and mobility: forward collision warning, situational awareness, work zone warning, spot weather impact warning, and distress notification. Once the demonstration phase concludes, code developed as part of the pilot will be available on the USDOT’s open source application development portal (OSADP) to allow agencies across the country to benefit from WYDOT’s development and deployment efforts.