projectoverview - Global-5 Communications

CONNECTED VEHICLE PILOT DEPLOYMENT

P R O J E C T

Contact: Sue Chrzan Director of Communications Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority 813.272.6740, ext. 130 [email protected]

O V E R V I E W

Making Transportation Safer, Smarter and Greener

Drivers, bus and streetcar passengers, and pedestrians in downtown Tampa will soon experience a safer, smoother trip as the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) brings innovative connected vehicle (CV) technology to the city’s central business district. This technology has

PHOTO: KIM SENG

the potential to transform the experience of the drivers, transit riders and pedestrians who traverse the city every day—preventing collisions, enhancing traffic flow, improving transit trip times, and even shrinking the Tampa Bay area’s carbon footprint by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Tampa is one of the first cities in the nation to deploy connected vehicle technology on real city streets. In fact, Tampa was one of just three sites in the nation to be selected for the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) CV Pilot Deployment Program, which seeks to spur innovation among early adopters of connected vehicle applications. The other two sites are New York City and the Interstate 80 corridor in Wyoming. The planned four-year effort began in September 2015, when the USDOT awarded THEA a $17 million contract to implement its winning proposal. The project reached another milestone in September 2016, when USDOT authorized THEA and its partners to proceed with the second phase, which includes design, testing and deployment. The third and final phase, expected to begin in mid-2018, will involve the full-scale operation of CV technology throughout downtown Tampa.

Page 1 of 8

2464-20160920C


P R O J E C T


O V E R V I E W


Benefits The Tampa CV Pilot will employ vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication technology to improve safety and reduce delays by addressing specific issues in various downtown locations.

LEE ROY SELMON EXPRESSWAY REL—TRAFFIC CONGESTION

SOURCE: HNTB

Roadways: Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, Meridian Avenue, East Twiggs Street

As morning commuters approach the downtown terminus of the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway’s Reversible Express Lanes (REL), they enter a sharp curve ending at a traffic light at the intersection of East Twiggs Street and Meridian Avenue. Traffic tie-ups at this intersection often cause queues to form on the REL, increasing the risk of rear-end crashes. Drivers on the REL who participate in the CV Pilot will receive warnings when motorists on the road ahead have suddenly slowed down or come to a stop. Their vehicles will also alert them when they are approaching the REL’s downtown curve at an unsafe speed.

Page 2 of 8

2464-20160920C


P R O J E C T


O V E R V I E W


LEE ROY SELMON EXPRESSWAY REL—WRONG-WAY DRIVERS

SOURCE: HNTB

Roadways: Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, Meridian Avenue, East Twiggs Street

The downtown terminus of the REL is a potential entry point for wrong-way drivers. The CV Pilot aims to reduce the risk of crashes by detecting and warning wrong-way drivers before they get on the expressway. Other drivers on the REL will also receive warnings when a wrong-way driver is approaching.

Page 3 of 8

2464-20160920C


P R O J E C T


O V E R V I E W


PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

SOURCE: HNTB

Roadways: East Twiggs Street and other downtown locations

THEA and its partners will install sensors at various downtown crosswalks to improve pedestrian safety. When the sensors detect a pedestrian in the crosswalk, roadside equipment will broadcast that information to connected vehicles in the vicinity, and their drivers will receive an alert. The CV Pilot team will also develop a pedestrian smartphone app. Volunteers who download and run the app as they cross certain downtown streets will receive a warning when a connected vehicle is approaching. The goal is to reduce vehicle-pedestrian conflicts, especially at the midblock crosswalk on East Twiggs Street at the Hillsborough County Courthouse.

Page 4 of 8

2464-20160920C


P R O J E C T


O V E R V I E W


HART BUSES ON MARION STREET AND CROSS STREETS

SOURCE: HNTB

Roadways: Marion Street, East Tyler Street, East Cass Street, East Polk Street, East Zack Street, East Twiggs Street, East Madison Street, East Kennedy Street and East Jackson Street

Marion Street, a two-lane urban arterial, serves as the primary Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) route in downtown Tampa. Traffic congestion on cross streets sometimes prevents HART buses from reaching their stops, potentially causing the buses to fall behind schedule. To improve transit trip times, the CV Pilot will outfit 10 HART buses with equipment that will communicate with traffic signals on their routes. The traffic signals will adjust the timing of the lights to prioritize bus movements when necessary to keep buses on schedule.

Page 5 of 8

2464-20160920C


P R O J E C T


O V E R V I E W


TECO LINE STREETCAR SYSTEM

SOURCE: HNTB

Roadways: Channelside Drive

The TECO Line Streetcar System is an electric trolley line that roughly follows Channelside Drive between downtown Tampa and Ybor City. The CV Pilot will equip TECO Line streetcars with devices that enable them to communicate wirelessly with other vehicles and pedestrians. Streetcar operators will receive a warning when a connected vehicle or pedestrian is about to cross the track, reducing the risk of collisions.

Page 6 of 8

2464-20160920C


P R O J E C T


O V E R V I E W


MERIDIAN AVENUE TRAFFIC SIGNALS

SOURCE: HNTB

Roadways: Meridian Avenue and cross streets at intersection

The CV Pilot will help ease morning congestion on Meridian Avenue, a six-lane roadway that extends south from the downtown terminus of the REL. Traffic signals equipped with CV technology will communicate with participating vehicles and with the City of Tampa’s Transportation Management Center to optimize signal timing in response to real-time traffic conditions.

Page 7 of 8

2464-20160920C


P R O J E C T


O V E R V I E W


Equipment Siemens, a key partner, is developing 40 roadside units that will be installed in conjunction with traffic signals and other roadway infrastructure. These units will communicate with connected vehicles and with the City of Tampa’s Transportation Management Center via dedicated short range communications, or DSRC.

BrandMotion, another key partner, is supplying the onboard units that will be installed in participants’ vehicles. The units, which will take the place of the vehicles’ rear-view mirrors, will function as the primary interface between drivers and the connected vehicle environment. SOURCE: FDOT DISTRICT 5

SOURCE: HNTB

Page 8 of 8

SOURCE: BRANDMOTION

2464-20160920C