In the introductory video for Beyond Traffic: Trends and Choices, our draft 30-year transportation framework, the narrator says, "We've got a lot to think about; we need a new approach." And she's right.

The good news is that DOT researchers have been thinking; they have been imagining new approaches. And one new approach, Connected Vehicles, offers the possibility of improved safety and improved mobility.

 

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Feb 9, 2015 at 7:09am PST

In a world where a car can see what a driver can't, yours could warn you of a potential crash or icy roads ahead; advise you of a traffic jam ahead and automatically recalculate your travel route; or even help you locate an available parking space.  These developments are closer than you think through DOT's connected vehicle research.

In that not-too-distant future, transit buses can advise you on whether you'll be able to make your next connection, mapping software could indicate the greenest travel route, and cell phones could communicate with traffic signals so pedestrians with disability can safely cross an intersection.

Connected vehicles use technologies like GPS and dedicated short-range communications to enable high-speed, real-time communication between vehicles, roadside infrastructure, and mobile devices. They'll share data anonymously to prevent crashes, reduce congestion, and lessen the impact of transportation on our environment.

To help illustrate this new technology, the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITSJPO) at DOT has produced a new animated video. The video shows connected vehicles in action, moving through several scenarios that highlight the technology’s benefits in safety, mobility, environment, road weather, and emergency response.

Building on the Department’s commitment to safety on America’s roads, the President's proposed budget invests $935 million over six years in the future of Intelligent Transportation Systems, including $158 million in FY 2016 to accelerate research on vehicle automation and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology.

Watch the video above and you'll see some of the ways we can get Beyond Traffic.

You can learn more about how connected vehicles work by reading this fact sheet. And if you have further ideas about how we can get Beyond Traffic, please visit our 30-year framework website and share your ideas!