Automated Truck Lanes in Urban Area for Through and Cross Border Traffic

Automated Vehicles and Highway Capacity

In the current driving system, a significant amount of lateral and longitudinal space between vehicles is required for safety and psychological reasons. The longitudinal separation increases as the speed of the vehicle increases, and larger spaces are required for trucks. This driving behavior limits highway capacity. One way to increase it is to have autonomous vehicles traveling smaller distances apart at high speed, or in platoons. 

Designing Dedicated Autonomous Truck Lanes

This research project will investigate the design and operations of dedicated lanes for fully automated trucks, the suitability of existing infrastructure to accommodate these novel technologies, and the potential economic ramifications on the surrounding region.

The testbed for this project is a 55-mile section of the I-10 Freeway with the Texas Department of Transportation El Paso District. Based on the results of the ConOps, a preliminary economic impact study will be conducted to assess the potential impacts of bringing autonomous freight vehicles to the region. This is the first year of a multi-year project.