FDOT US 98 Smart Bay Connected Vehicle Design

US 98 in Bay County is well known by millions of vacationers as a gateway to beautiful beaches, but also for bumper-to-bumper traffic in some areas during peak season. To improve safety and mobility, Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) District 3 embarked on US 98 Smart Bay, the first, large-scale connected vehicle (CV) design project in the Northwest Florida region.

We were responsible for designing cutting-edge CV technologies along 32 miles of highway, including Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) equipment, Automated Traffic Signal Performance Metrics (ATSPM) hardware, portable on-board units for system testing and demonstration and roadside units (RSUs), which were installed at more than 40 signalized intersections and mid-block pedestrian crossing locations. Our design also featured:

• School Zone Warnings – inform approaching drivers about active school zones when their vehicles enter the area
• Spot Impact Weather Warnings – alert motorists of hazardous, real-time weather conditions (e.g., low visibility, high winds, rising water) on major bridges
• Advanced Rail Warnings – notify approaching drivers when a train is detected and at-grade crossing gates begin lowering
• Emergency Vehicle Preemption and Transit Signal Priority – ensures a green light for an active emergency vehicle to minimize delays in responding to incidents
• Traveler Information Messages – provide real-time updates of traffic and roadway conditions directly to drivers using in-vehicle systems

Allowing for future growth and flexibility, we developed a technology agnostic, scalable ITS and CV ecosystem. The RSUs selected for deployment support both dedicated short-range communications and cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) operations as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) moves forward with transitioning connected vehicle operations exclusively to C-V2X. To minimize the need for underground work that might disturb the numerous sensitive wetland areas within the project limits, we reused existing infrastructure for the signalized intersections and ITS site. Existing signal structures such as mast arms, conduits, pull boxes and controller cabinets were also maintained and repurposed wherever feasible and proposed locations of aboveground infrastructure chosen to minimize the required maintenance of traffic impacts, such as lane closures. Where in-road work was required, we recommended only overnight work be performed to alleviate negative impacts to motorists during peak hours. In addition, by installing devices in easy-to-access roadside locations, future impacts will be minimized when preventative maintenance or repairs are required.

Ensuring all connected vehicle technology was synchronized and minimizing overlap of multiple contractors, we developed a coordinated schedule enabling complex networking interfaces between partner agencies to function properly and meet cybersecurity requirements. This included licensing with the FCC for wireless communication devices and remapping over 35 signalized intersection detection zones. Our team also worked with FDOT to identify proposed equipment requiring significant lead times in construction and prioritized their procurement to avoid costly delays.

To help FDOT obtain public support for the project, we collaborated with their Public Information team to prepare a comprehensive Community Awareness Plan. This plan outlined the framework for the necessary steps to engage the general public and provided valuable project information including construction schedules and maintenance of traffic impacts. Our efforts helped inform regional partners of ongoing activities and ensured notifications were disseminated to the local community.

The deployment of these connected vehicle roadside technologies will help FDOT and Bay County better manage the corridor in real time and establish a system capable of supporting advanced safety features as connected vehicles become more available. Per-lane data from the ATSPM platform will provide operators with a detailed perspective of how the signalized intersections are performing and enable them to develop best practices to optimize efficiency and improve throughput, minimize delay and eliminate lost time while also reducing carbon emissions caused by waiting at stop lights. Connected vehicle messaging applications will allow FDOT to communicate directly with motorists and alert them of real-time traffic and roadway conditions. These applications will also better service larger vehicles, such as trucks and buses, to further minimize carbon emissions and delays.