Skip to main content

ITS America applauds US DOT decision to accelerate automated and connected vehicle projects

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America’s (ITS America) President and CEO Regina Hopper has applauded the announcement by US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx that the Obama Administration has proposed US$4 billion over 10 years for automated and connected vehicle pilot projects that accelerate vehicle safety technologies. Secretary Foxx also announced that the US DOT is removing potential roadblocks to the integration of innovative, transformational automotive technology that can signific
January 15, 2016 Read time: 3 mins
The Intelligent Transportation Society of America’s (560 ITS America) President and CEO Regina Hopper has applauded the announcement by US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx that the Obama Administration has proposed US$4 billion over 10 years for automated and connected vehicle pilot projects that accelerate vehicle safety technologies.

Secretary Foxx also announced that the US DOT is removing potential roadblocks to the integration of innovative, transformational automotive technology that can significantly improve safety, mobility, and sustainability.

“We are on the cusp of a new era in automotive technology with enormous potential to save lives, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and transform mobility for the American people,” said Foxx.  “Today’s actions and those we will pursue in the coming months will provide the foundation and the path forward for manufacturers, state officials, and consumers to use new technologies and achieve their full safety potential.”

The President’s FY17 budget proposal would provide nearly US$4 billion over 10 years for pilot programs to test connected vehicle systems in designated corridors throughout the country, and work with industry leaders to ensure a common multistate framework for connected and autonomous vehicles.

Hopper said, “ITS America applauds Secretary Foxx and the Administration for accelerating the adoption of advanced vehicle technologies, such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication that will significantly reduce traffic fatalities and injuries and ensure America continues to lead in automotive and transportation innovation.

“Automated and connected vehicle technologies will save thousands of lives each year and bring us closer to our goal of zero deaths on America’s roads.

“Congress took a critical step in the FAST Act to encourage innovation and support the deployment of these and other Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).  This announcement represents the collective commitment of the transportation, technology and highway safety communities to tackle the challenges and harness the opportunities before us to transform safety and mobility in America.”

Secretary Foxx also unveiled policy guidance that updates the 834 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) 2013 preliminary policy statement on autonomous vehicles.  The new guidance, released today, reflects the reality that the widespread deployment of fully autonomous vehicles is now feasible.

“NHTSA is using all of its available tools to accelerate the deployment of technologies that can eliminate 94 per cent of fatal crashes involving human error,” said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind.  “We will work with state partners toward creating a consistent national policy on these innovations, provide options now and into the future for manufacturers seeking to deploy autonomous vehicles, and keep our safety mission paramount at every stage.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • FRA calls on states to inspect traffic signals at rail crossings
    February 18, 2016
    The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today called on state departments of transportation to verify that railroad crossing warning systems interconnected to traffic signals function properly to verify that the traffic signals and crossing lights are properly sequenced and enough time is provided for traffic to clear from a nearby intersection before a train enters a crossing. The agency also urged states to add event recorders to traffic signals connected to railroad crossing systems so information o
  • The rise of V2X: it’s time for ITS to put up the shields in cyberspace
    May 14, 2018
    Traffic management has largely been shielded from the sort of malicious hacking that is commonplace in other industries – but with billions of connected devices in the world it won’t stay that way, warn internet experts Keith Golden and Brandon Johnson. Traditionally isolated from networks and the internet over most of its history, the traffic management industry has largely been shielded from malicious hacking and system intrusion that have become commonplace in other industries. However, as the rate of
  • Connected Vehicle Pilot Program enters phase two
    September 2, 2016
    The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded three cooperative agreements collectively worth more than US$45 million to initiate the design/build/test phase of the Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program. Selected in 2015, the Connected Vehicle Pilot sites include Wyoming, New York City and Tampa.
  • Nokia builds comms network for the smart, super-connected highway
    March 6, 2025
    The challenges are clear, but operators are embracing digitalisation and automation as they work to transform the highway landscape