Coordination of Highway Research

with University Transportation Centers

Michael F. Trentacoste

Associate Administrator for Research, Development, 

and Technology

Federal Highway Administration

Webinar on National Highway Research Priorities

April 5, 2012 – Economic Competitiveness
Webinar Series Topics and Dates

• 1- State of Good Repair, March 28th

• 2- Economic Competitiveness, April 5th ← today

• 3- Safety, May 8th

• 4- Livability and Sustainability, May 9th

• 5- Policy and Innovative Financing, May 10th

2
Invited Participants

• New University Transportation Centers (UTCs)

• State Research Managers

• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Division Office 

Research Coordinators

3

Host and Presenters

• FHWA Research and Development (R&D) 

Offices and Program Offices
Webinar Purpose

• Provide FHWA perspectives on national challenges 

and highway research priorities

• Opportunity for UTCs to consider highway research 

priorities in their research plans and initiatives

• Inform State Research Managers on priorities

• Provide FHWA contacts for followup 

communications and coordination 

4
For more information about UTC 

participation, contact:

Debra Elston, 202-493-3181

www.fhwa.dot.gov/research

Thanks for Your Participation

Thanks to the Research and Innovative 

Technology Administration (RITA) for this 

opportunity to communicate priorities to 

the UTCs
Visit our Web Site at 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/research 6
Economic Competitiveness

Joseph I. Peters, Ph.D.

Director, Office of Operations Research and 

Development

Federal Highway Administration

Coordination of Highway Research with University Transportation Centers

April 5, 2012
Topics to be Covered

• Goals

• Challenges and 

National Needs

• Current Program and 

Plans for New 

Research and 

Technology (R&T)

Vision for Operations

– Technology Enabled

– Proactive

– Connected 

– Automated 

– Accelerated

– Collaborative

8
Economic Competitiveness

• Goals: 

– Achieve the greatest contribution of the 

transportation system to the United States’ 

economy

– Promote transportation policies and investments 

that bring lasting and equitable economic benefits 

to the Nation and its citizens

9
System Performance

• FHWA Goal: The Nation's highway system 

provides safe, reliable, effective, and sustainable 

mobility for all users

• Objective: Evaluate causes of congestion and 

develop deployable tools, options, and solutions 

that reduce congestion

10
Automated Truck Platoons

Grand Challenge to 

Improving US Competitiveness

Urban Mobility Report 2010

1

3.8

4.8

Billions person Hours

National Travel Delay

1982 1999 2009

24

85

115

Billions of 2009 dollars

National Congestion 

Cost

1982 1999 2009

11
Automated Truck Platoons

Congestion Getting Dramatically Worse 

Especially on Truck Routes

2007 2040

(Freight Facts and Figures 2011)

12
Satisfying National Needs with 

Operations Research and Technology

• Technology transfer and technical assistance (Today)

• Improving day-to-day operations (1 – 5 Years)

• Innovation for tomorrow’s operations (5 – 10 Years)

• Exploratory advanced research (5 to 20 years)

• Developing a technology base of foundational 

research (1 – 20 Years)

There’s a role for UTC’s in all of the above

13
Why Does FHWA Focus 

on Improving Operations?

• To reduce/manage impacts of congestion

• To keep people and commerce moving – a healthy 

economy needs a reliable transportation system

• To improve the safety and sustainability of the 

highway system

• To make more cost effective investment of limited 

resources

• To promote a more proactive approach

14
Three FHWA Operations Themes 

Guiding the Current Program

(1 – 5 Years)

1. Managing Congestion by Improving 

Reliability and Operating the System at Peak 

Performance

2. Improving Reliability Through Efficient 

Movement of Freight

3. Building a Strong Foundation for Proactive 

Operations

15
Three FHWA Operations Themes 

Guiding the Current Program

1. Managing Congestion by Improving 

Reliability and Operating the System at 

Peak Performance

16
Managing Congestion by Improving Reliability and 

Operating the System at Peak Performance

• Active Transportation and Demand Management

• Arterial Management/Traffic Signal Operations

• Congestion Pricing

• Real-Time Transportation Information

• Road Weather Management

• Traffic Incident and Events Management

• Work Zone Mobility and Safety

17
Three FHWA Operations Themes 

Guiding the Current Program

1. Managing Congestion by Improving 

Reliability and Operating the System at Peak 

Performance

2. Improving Reliability Through Efficient 

Movement of Freight

18
Improving Reliability Through 

Efficient Movement of Freight

• Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight

• Freight Data and Analysis

• Freight Operations and Technology

• Freight Professional Development

19
Freight Management Strategies

• Reduce vehicle travel while delivering the goods

• Shift freight movement to less congested hours

• Improve enforcement size and weight laws with 

less disruption to freight flows

• Mitigate the negative consequences of freight 

movement on local communities

• Plan and administer projects for multi-state 

freight corridors

20
Three FHWA Operations Themes 

Guiding the Current Program

1. Managing Congestion by Improving 

Reliability and Operating the System at Peak 

Performance

2. Improving Reliability Through Efficient 

Movement of Freight

3. Building a Strong Foundation for 

Proactive Operations

21
• Accelerating Implementation of Operations and 

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) 

Technologies and Strategies

• Providing Operations and Freight Performance 

Measurement and Management

• Organizing and Planning for Operations

• Developing Traffic Analysis Tools

• Improving Traffic Control (MUTCD)

Building a Strong Foundation for 

Proactive Operations

22
FHWA Operations Themes 

Guiding the Current Program

For more information:

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov

23
• Create an information-rich 

environment and enable 

connectivity 

• Develop and advocate 

innovations to improve 

transportation operations

Operations Innovation Strategies

( 5 to 10 Years)

24
• Enabling Technologies

• Data Environment

• Concepts and Analysis 

• Applications and Living Laboratories

Areas of Innovation

25
• Positioning, Navigation, Timing (PNT), and 

Mapping

• Wireless Communications

• Detection Technology

• Real-Time Data Capture and Management

Transportation Enabling Technologies

26
Where is the vehicle? Vs. Where does it think it is?
GPS System Error: All the dots should be in the same lane!

Onboard Equipment Testing at TFHRC, 50 MPH, Westbound 28
Probe Data captured through live feed from Service Delivery Node to 

Prototype Data Environment

29

Copyright: Europa Technologies and Google, Inc.
• Enabling Technologies

• Data Environment

• Concepts and Analysis 

• Applications and Living Laboratories

Areas of Innovation

30
– Developing a Research Data Exchange 

(RDE) to host and provide access to multisource, multi-modal data

– Data archives and data feeds

– Supports connected vehicle application 

development and testing

Establishing a Data Environment for 

Real-Time Data Capture and 

Management

31
Incrementally 

Constructing 

the Research

Data 

Exchange 

(RDE)
• Enabling Technologies

• Data Environment

• Concepts and Analysis 

• Applications and Living Laboratories

Areas of Innovation

33
• “What if?” 

– New Technologies, New Ideas, New Strategies

• New Data, New Models, New Simulations

• Examples:

– Adaptive Signal Control Technologies

– Work Zones

– Integrated Corridor Management

Concepts and Analysis

34
Future Activities

• Alternative Speed Harmonization Technologies 

and Strategies

– Cooperative Cruise Control 

– Traffic management algorithms

• Assessment of a Dedicated Lane(s) for 

Passenger Cars and Heavy Vehicles Platoons

• Benefit –Cost Analysis of Actual Deployment 

Scenarios

35
• Enabling Technologies

• Data Environment

• Concepts and Analysis 

• Applications and Living Laboratories

Areas of Innovation

36
• Partnering with Connected Transportation 

System Pooled Fund Study to Develop and 

Test Signal Applications

– University of AZ and UC PATH are phase 1 

contractors

– Testing to occur in AZ and CA in phase 2

• Some testing at TFHRC’s Cooperative 

Vehicle Highway Testbed

Transportation Operations Applications

37
Traffic Signal System Applications

• Adaptive Signal Timing

• Transit Signal Priority

• Freight Signal Priority

• Emergency Vehicle Preemption

• Pedestrian Signal Optimization

38
Intelligent Network Flow Optimization

• Deployment likely to occur on freeways first 

and then possibly arterials

• Applications Include:

– Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC)

– Speed Harmonization

– Queue Warning

39
Wide Array of Other Applications 

Being Developed

• Eco-Traffic Signal System

• Eco-Adaptive Cruise Control

• Enable Advanced Traveler Information Systems

• Freight Advanced Traveler Information Systems

• Integrated Dynamic Transit Operations

40
Validation/Calibration Data

Real-World 

Performance 

Characteristics

Data Sets

41
42
Relevant Exploratory Advanced and 

Transformational Research Projects

( 5 – 20 Years)

• Enabling Technology - Intersection Reservation 

Systems

• Concepts and Analysis – Integrating micro-mesomacro-scale models

• Cooperative Vehicle-Highway Applications -

Completed major assessment of Cooperative 

Adaptive Cruise Control Technologies and Driver 

Acceptance Testing

43
The Technology Base: 

A Foundation for the Future

( 1 – 20 Years)

44
The Technology Base: 

A Foundation for the Future

( 1 – 20 Years)

45

FHWA 

Pooled Fund 

Studies

FHWA Exploratory 

Advanced Research 

Program

FHWA 

Research and 

Technology 

Program
The Technology Base: 

A Foundation for the Future

( 1 – 20 Years)

46

FHWA 

Pooled Fund 

Studies

FHWA Exploratory 

Advanced 

Research Program

FHWA 

Research and 

Technology 

Program

RITA University 

Transportation 

Research

Strategic Highway 

Research Program

National 

Cooperative 

Research 

Programs

Small Business 

Innovation 

Research 
Satisfying National Needs with 

Operations Research and Technology

• Technology transfer and technical assistance (Today)

• Improving day-to-day operations (1 – 5 Years)

• Innovation for tomorrow’s operations (5 – 10 Years)

• Exploratory advanced research (5 to 20 years)

• Developing a technology base (1 – 10 Years)

There’s a role for UTC’s in all of the above !

47
48

Technical Support and Tasks for the 

Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory

Solicitation Number: DTFH61-12-R-00022

Agency: Department of Transportation

Office: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

Location: Office of Acquisition Management
49

Any questions?

For more information, contact:

Joseph I. Peters, 202-493-3269

Joe.peters@dot.gov
Visit our Web Site at 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/research 50