Here and CDOT to partner on US RoadX connected vehicle project

The 5701 Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and mapping and location technology specialist 7643 Here are to partner in the first cellular network-based connected vehicle alert system in North America.

The project is the first industry collaboration announced by CDOT following the launch of their RoadX program in October with US Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx.

It aims to help maximise driver safety and roadway efficiency along one of the most challenging roads in the United States, the I-70 Mountain Corridor, which links Denver to Colorado’s resorts and mountains.

CDOT plans to leverage the Here location cloud and digital transportation infrastructure solution (DTI), on the RoadX connected vehicle pilot to connect vehicles, smartphones and other devices, road infrastructure and traffic management centres.

Utilising existing cellular networks, the Here Location Cloud, along with DTI, are capable of collecting, analysing and distributing highly accurate, safety critical information such as accidents or extreme weather to the right people at the right time. The Here platform is interoperable, which will enable seamless data sharing with CDOT, and is optimised for the continued integration of data generated by a vehicle’s on-board sensors and the surrounding road infrastructure.

CDOT will be seeking approximately 1000 vehicles to participate in the pilot which will begin during the 2016-2017 winter ski season.
 
“As vehicles share safety hazards in near real time via cellular networks and with the Here location cloud, the I-70 Mountain Pilot will transform data into intelligence, helping vehicles safely and more efficiently get to their destination,” said CDOT executive director Shailen Bhatt.
 
 “We have designed an interoperable platform that today allows an efficient low latency data exchange, where connected vehicles can transmit and receive localised information on road conditions for the safety and benefit of the driver,” said George Filley, global head of digital transportation infrastructure at Here.

“RoadX efforts like the collaboration with Here are investments that we believe are smart with our taxpayer dollars,” added Bhatt. “It is an investment in our time as commuters, our bottom lines as businesses and our lives as travellers on our roadways. It is time for our state to take the leading role in a major innovation in travel and in Colorado’s economic future.”
 
"The innovative RoadX project will demonstrate how available cellular technology can be used to address real challenges in transportation. It is a very astute decision by CDOT to deliver these critical driver alerts at a fraction of the cost compared to a DSRC-based connected vehicle implementation,” said Praveen Chandrasekar, an automotive and transportation industry analyst at global research and consulting firm 2097 Frost & Sullivan. “Here is a recognised leader in the marketplace, and their ITS projects throughout the world are helping to lay the foundation for the future of traffic management and connected vehicle technology.”