DOTs across the country are paying third-party vendors to provide traffic data from their own roadways.  The data is costly, and the source of the data is not verifiable.   An entire industry is emerging that increasingly perceives DOTs as their primary financial source.  Currently a significant number of vehicles are equipped with sensors, cameras, and in some cases lidar technology, which have the capability to provide DOTs accurate information pertaining to vehicular movements on our roadways.  This information is currently retained by the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).  If this information was shared with the departments of transportation, it could lead to a safer and more efficient system for their users.  Cooperative efforts by a consortium of State entities to facilitate this data exchange could yield substantial benefits for the DOT, the OEMs, but most importantly the people driving on the roadways.

Historically, there has been a reluctance within the private sector to share information with government agencies.  The premise of this TPF study is to collaboratively look at the development of a data repository that could act as an impartial arbiter of data to ensure all personal identifying details are excluded. 

The goal of the project is to develop a secure computing, data analytics, and storage infrastructure with a data repository (data warehouse or data lake) that will collect all relevant vehicle data as well as other types of data (including environment data, weather data, among other sources) and share the data with DOTs for data analyses without any identifying information attached to improve transportation decision-making.

The project will have two phases.  The final scope of work will be determined by the member states.

Phase 1-duration 1 year:  At the core of this phase is the development of a shared computing infrastructure that will be used to demonstrate the ability to securely ingest, integrate, store, and analyze multi-sourced data to support the safe and reliable operations of the US highway system. This phase is intended to build rapport and trust for seamless exchange of data and information between DOTs and OEMs. Three main tasks will occur during phase 1.

• Explore existing DOT Infrastructure and data to identify potential opportunities that could create value for OEMs and their customers,
• Develop a shared computing platform that can be used to securely load, store, and analyze datasets streaming from vehicular and infrastructure-mounted sensors, and
• Organize forums and focused group meetings that will showcase products resulting from pilot projects and gather feedback from OEMs to improve these products.

The initial set of data identified as being of primary interest includes geometry data detailing areas with sharp turns and increased inertia, hard-breaking locations, road condition data highlighting irregularities like potholes, environmental data indicative of weather conditions (e.g., usage of windshield wipers) and videos capturing retro-reflectivity of markers and signs, among others.  To ensure the collection of the most pertinent data, a brainstorming session will be held with member states to identify the most valuable data to request.

Phase 2-duration 3 years:  Phase 2 will begin with the strategic engagement and recruitment of OEMs, with an aim to collaborate with 2 to 3 partner OEMs.  This phase will involve a series of focused tasks designed to enhance the collaboration and efficacy of the data exchange between all parties involved. The key activities planned include:

• Organize regular meetings with all stakeholders including agencies, academia, industry/OEMs and an advisory panel to ensure cohesive communication and alignment of project objectives.
• Propose, select, and launch projects will be proposed, selected, and initiated with a focus on those areas that would benefit most from this new data exchange.  These projects will serve as testbeds for applying the new insights derived from the shared data.
• Build and make accessible a suite of data analytics tools and models that permit data sharing, integration, and analysis, ensuring privacy preservation and providing verifiable provenance information.
• Develop the framework for an ongoing data exchange system, however ongoing maintenance of the system will not be part of this pooled fund.

Suggested contribution is 50k per year for 4 years, states can begin making contributions once the project is approved by FHWA or at the beginning of Federal Fiscal Year 2025.