Goal

To investigate and identify successful deployments of truck-related roadside technologies; review relevant research; develop a concept of operations of a national system; develop a prototype based on an assessment of stakeholder/user needs, goals, expectations, operational environment, and processes; and to test the prototype.

Background

The Smart Roadside Initiative began a few years ago when a representative cross-section of the commercial vehicle community attended the 2008 Smart Roadside Workshop. The participants at the workshop agreed that commercial vehicle safety, security, and mobility systems should be linked to a coordinated and comprehensive roadside program. A workshop sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) was held in 2008 and the stakeholder community identified goals and objectives—along with individual projects—that should be part of the program.

Summary

Smart Roadside is currently a mode-specific item in the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Strategic Research Plan, 2010–14. However, it is a multimodal initiative that includes not only FMCSA and FHWA, but also the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) due to its synergies with the Connected Vehicle Program.

Outcomes

The Smart Roadside Initiative vision is one in which commercial vehicles, motor carriers, enforcement resources, highway facilities, intermodal facilities, toll facilities, and other modes on the transportation system collect data for their own purposes and share the data seamlessly with the relevant parties in order to improve motor carrier safety, security, operational efficiency, and freight mobility. This vision will be achieved through the application of interoperable technologies and information sharing among in-vehicle, on-the-road, and freight facility systems. Whenever possible, the Smart Roadside Initiative will leverage stakeholders’ current technology investments in order to augment existing programs and support new activities.

Milestones

September 2015     Final reporting to be complete

Funding

$2,900,000

Status

Currently working with numerous states to determine the most appropriate inspection stations in which to test the prototype system.

Contractor

Leidos (formerly SAIC)