Initiating the Systems Engineering Process for Rural Connected Vehicle Corridors, Volume 1: Research Overview (2021)

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1   While most connected vehicle projects have focused primarily on applications in urban areas, there is signicant interest and potential in deploying, operating, and maintaining connected vehicle technologies on rural corridors. Rural connected vehicle deployments are few because agencies tend to deploy connected vehicle technology in urban areas rst. Prevailing available project information, including systems engineering artifacts, such as concept of operations, system requirements, and design documents, address needs character- istic of large urban metropolitan areas and regions. is research project followed a systems engineering process to develop a model concept of operations (ConOps) and a model system requirements specication (SyRS)—the two products of this research project. Both documents are resources for state and local practitioners, agencies, and their contractor/ consultant sta as they begin to deploy connected vehicle technologies. Whether or not an agency is using highway trust funds for the rural connected vehicle deployment, these products will support connected vehicle deployments that ensure local needs and challenges are addressed, measurable goals and objectives are set, and appropriate connected vehicle applications and solutions are identied. Note that 23 CFR 940.11 states, “All ITS projects funded with highway trust funds shall be based on a systems engineering analysis.” While the benets of following a systems engineering process are well-documented, many agencies continue to nd the process to be cumbersome. To help in these situations, model systems engineering documents oer a starting point for agencies as they begin to deploy connected vehicle technologies. Agencies can use these model systems engineering documents as they develop their customized, local ConOps and SyRS documents, saving the agency time and money while ensuring that their deployments address rural challenges and are eective, secure, and interoperable nationally. Objectives e objectives of this research were to identify (1) connected vehicle applications that will be most relevant on rural corridors; (2) scalable ways connected vehicles may be integrated into transportation agencies’ trac operations and management plans; (3) the require- ments of connected vehicles and cyber-physical infrastructure within rural corridors; (4) the anticipated roles and responsibilities of agencies in authorizing, deploying, operating, and maintaining ITS and other transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) technologies within rural corridors; and (5) the related stang and resource needs. S U M M A R Y Initiating the Systems Engineering Process for Rural Connected Vehicle Corridors, Volume 1: Research Overview

2 Initiating the Systems Engineering Process for Rural Connected Vehicle Corridors Findings and Suggestions Key ndings from the literature review included that many of the connected vehicle applications for the six topic areas—Road Weather Management; Trac Conditions and Work Zones; Incident and Emergency Management; Rural Mobility; Rural Safety; and Freight—have been prototyped and deployed apply to rural corridors. Needs identied in this project that fall within one of these topic areas have documentation/materials that will be good starting points. However, the applications must be tailored to address the specic problems and characteristics of rural corridors. e key issues and challenges faced by the project stakeholders centered around the lack of infrastructure (equipment, communications, and power); the need for more probe data that is timely, accurate, and detailed to supplement current data sources; and the need for cost-eective capabilities that can be integrated into existing systems to support trans- portation management and operational strategies. Enabling technologies and critical cross- cutting elements of interoperability, common approaches and tools, security, and planning and other factors, such as resources available to operators and maintainers of rural corridors, ultimately play a role in addressing challenges and how successful practices can be applied. Suggestions to practitioners include the following: • Review current context to understand the developments that may have taken place aer the publication of this report. • Identify relevant local stakeholders to provide input and feedback during the develop- ment lifecycle. • Identify constraints based on the particular rural agency and environment. • Consider using commercial requirement management tools if your project is large and complex because these can have a signicant impact on the maintenance, management, and traceability of user needs, requirements, and system/interface design. • Collaborate with peer agencies to benet from the sharing of best practices, understanding, and experience using the model documents developed by the project. On the basis of the literature review and stakeholder engagement activities, the project team identied the following suggestions: • Identify strategies to address rural eld infrastructure constraints. • Further develop rural connected vehicle maintenance practices. • Dene interoperable supporting connected vehicle services in rural context. • Research higher-latency communications and applications. • Investigate funding strategies for rural connected vehicles. • Assess availability of cellular, satellite, and other wide-area communications on rural corridors. • Develop common training/workforce development for rural connected vehicles. • Dene feasible procurement strategies and resources for rural connected vehicles. • Dene Operations and Maintenance (O&M) and lifecycle cost experiences/guidance for rural connected vehicles. • Identify integration opportunities with other emerging technologies. • Identify engagement opportunities with additional rural stakeholders, specically Native American Tribal Lands. Incorporate suggestions described in the Implementation Plan to support project and product outreach and pilot activity to tailor the model ConOps and SyRS to the needs of one’s agency.