Skip to main content

TRC launches smart mobility advanced research and test centre

The US state of Ohio and the Ohio State University are funding the US$45 million Phase 1 expansion of the Transportation Research Center's (TRC) new 540-acre SMART (Smart Mobility Advanced Research and Test) Center. To to be built within the 4,500 acres of the TRC’s independent automotive testing facility and proving grounds, SMART aims to be a hub for testing of automated and autonomous vehicles, designed to enable car manufacturers and suppliers to expand their testing. Phase 1 of the expansion will in
January 27, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The US state of Ohio and the Ohio State University are funding the US$45 million Phase 1 expansion of the Transportation Research Center's (TRC) new 540-acre SMART (Smart Mobility Advanced Research and Test) Center. To to be built within the 4,500 acres of the TRC’s independent automotive testing facility and proving grounds, SMART aims to be a hub for testing of automated and autonomous vehicles, designed to enable car manufacturers and suppliers to expand their testing.

Phase 1 of the expansion will include a flexible platform and infrastructure; a high-speed intersection; a flexible test platform; an urban network of intersections, roundabouts, traffic signals; a rural network including wooded roads, neighbourhood network and a SMART Center support building.

TRC has been testing different types of vehicles and components on its 4,500-acre facility for more than 40 years, including testing automated and autonomous vehicles over the last two decades.  It provides a convenient location to safely test new technologies before their use on city streets and highways in support of Columbus's $140 million 324 US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Smart City project.

Funding efforts are underway for Phases 2 and 3 of the. Phase 2 will focus on the world's first indoor test facility, which will enable rigorous testing of highly automated vehicles in severe weather conditions.  Phase 3 will include a six-lane high-speed highway, with on and off ramps and underpasses, to support the testing of vehicle swarming and truck platooning.

Related Content

  • February 19, 2016
    UK smart mobility living lab launched in London
    UK transport consultancy, the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), has launched the UK Smart Mobility Living Lab @ Greenwich; a real-life environment where connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), services and processes can be safely developed, evaluated and integrated within the local community. Based in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, London and supported by UK government, the UK Smart Mobility Living Lab @ Greenwich helps organisations bring solutions to market faster by enabling them to be trialled a
  • June 26, 2018
    Managed lane operators: meet the CAV pioneers
    There is some controversy over the testing of connected and autonomous vehicles – but Robert Deans of Transurban North America explains how managed lanes could be vital in the development of CAVs, benefiting everyone. Managed lane operators have the opportunity to establish themselves as leaders in the testing and roll-out of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), assisting and accelerating the transition of CAVs onto road networks to deliver economic and safety benefits. Managed lane facilities
  • February 20, 2023
    ServCity AV project reaches final test
    Three-year initiative in London has aimed to demonstrate practicalities of urban robotaxis
  • June 25, 2018
    US Cities push for smarter poles
    US Cities The need to connect existing infrastructure has led various US transit authorities into imaginative alleyways: David Crawford examines some new roles for street furniture. US cities are vying with each other in developing schemes to create a new generation of connected places. Their strategies include taking advantage of their streetlight poles’ height and ubiquity to give them new roles in supporting intelligent nodes. They are now being equipped for collecting real-time data on key transport