U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations
The Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory (Saxton Laboratory) is a state-of-the-art facility for conducting transportation operations research. The laboratory is located at Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) in McLean, VA. The laboratory enables FHWA to validate and refine new transportation services and technologies before committing to larger scale research, development, testing, and deployment phases, and serves as a gateway where Federal staff, contractors, and academia collaborate on cutting-edge research. The Saxton Laboratory also supports professional development and technology transfer of innovative service concepts and technologies through knowledgeable onsite staff, physical prototype systems, and advanced simulation capabilities.
Figure 1. Illustration of the Saxton Laboratory testbeds and how they are interconnected.
The Saxton Laboratory comprises three testbeds:
The three testbeds help FHWA fulfill multiple operations research missions. For example, for a given test requirement, FHWA can validate fundamental technologies, collect data for proof-of-concept testing, and assess benefits through simulation by using the Saxton Laboratory testbeds.
The Saxton Laboratory includes the following facilities, which can support a broad range of research needs, particularly testing connected automation applications.
Figure 2. Photograph. Three of FHWA’s Connected Research Vehicles in the Vehicle Preparation Garage.
Figure 3. Photograph. Connected Intersection at TFHRC.
Figure 4. Photograph. Connected Saxton Laboratory at TFHRC.
» | Office of Operations R&D |
» | Operations R&D Laboratory |
» | Operations R&D Projects |
» | Operations R&D Experts |
» | Operations R&D Publications |
» | Operations Topics |
Ferlis, Robert A (Bob)
robert.ferlis@dot.gov
202-493-3268
Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center
6300 Georgetown Pike
McLean, VA 22101-2296
» | FHWA's Office of Operations |
» | Research and Innovative Technology Administration's Intelligent Transportation Systems Connected Vehicle Research |