Assessment of the applicability of cooperative vehicle-highway automation systems (CVHAS) to bus transit and intermodal freight : case study feasibility analyses in the Metropolitan Chicago Region.

Shladover, Steven · 2008 · ROSA P / California. Dept. of Transportation. Division of Research and Innovation

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Summary

This report assesses the feasibility and economic applicability of Cooperative Vehicle-Highway Automation Systems (CVHAS) for bus transit and intermodal freight in the Metropolitan Chicago Region. CVHAS technologies, which utilize vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication alongside onboard sensors, were evaluated to address specific connectivity and congestion issues. The study was motivated by the need to improve connections between commuter rail stations and major destinations in Chicago’s Central Area and to alleviate inefficiencies in freight movement caused by congested highways and unsuitable local streets. The research employed case study analyses for two distinct operating environments. For bus transit, three case studies evaluated CVHAS applications—including transit signal priority (TSP), collision warning, precision docking, and automatic steering control—on proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes. For intermodal freight, the study analyzed a hypothesized truck-only roadway connecting intermodal rail terminals, industrial parks, and highway entry points. Five operational concept alternatives were developed for the freight facility, ranging from conventional truck-only lanes to fully automated highways, allowing for comparative cost-benefit analyses against a baseline. The findings indicate that CVHAS technologies offer significant economic benefits for bus transit. Precision docking and TSP demonstrated high benefit-to-cost (B/C) ratios; for instance, TSP could achieve B/C ratios of 14 to 21 with modest time savings. Automatic steering control was found to reduce lane widths, potentially saving millions in tunnel and bridge construction costs, with B/C ratios exceeding 20. Collision warning systems showed less clear economic justification due to low crash frequencies, though they remain valuable for safety mitigation. In freight applications, a conventional truck-only facility provided a B/C ratio of 3.63. However, the most beneficial alternative involved a phased approach: opening a conventional facility initially and upgrading to automated operation (using speed and spacing control for platooning) around 2015. This strategy achieved the highest B/C ratio of 5.15 by maximizing early utilization while capturing long-term capacity and fuel savings. The study concludes that CVHAS technologies can effectively solve specific transportation problems in Chicago, with implications for other major metropolitan areas. The results suggest that while immediate deployment of certain technologies like collision warning may lack strong economic drivers, applications such as TSP, precision docking, and automated steering offer substantial returns. The recommended phased approach for freight facilities highlights the importance of aligning technology deployment with vehicle adoption rates. These findings support further detailed design and deployment studies to advance implementation.

Key finding

A phased deployment strategy for intermodal freight, where a conventional truck-only facility is opened initially and upgraded to automated operation later, achieved the highest benefit-cost ratio of 5.15.

Methodology

modeling

Provenance

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