Nebraska-based multidisciplinary consultancy HDR has been selected by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to help ensure the state remains a leader in the testing and integration of connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies.
In its role as general engineering consultant, HDR will develop, implement, deploy and evaluate a statewide investment program in CAV technology that is among the most robust in the USA. The work continues Florida’s efforts to keep pace with rapidly changing transportation technology. HDR will provide CAV program support, thought leadership, training for FDOT staff and development of CAV standards and action plans, among other tasks in the multi-year contract. Safety will continue to be a priority of FDOT for the state’s citizens and visitors as the agency makes significant mobility advancements and visible economic development achievements, with a focus on industry partnerships and technology deployments.
Among HDR’s key responsibilities will be implementing the state’s recently developed CAV business plan, meant to move Florida’s CAV efforts from planning phases and pilot projects to full-scale statewide deployment. As that deployment occurs, CAV technologies have the potential to significantly improve travel for citizens, by reducing fatal highway crashes, improving travel times, increasing mobility and enhancing multimodal operations.
In addition, HDR was recently selected as the prime construction engineering and inspection services consultant for Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise’s new connected and automated vehicle test facility at SunTrax. Located off I-4 between Orlando and Tampa, the large-scale, cutting-edge facility is a proving ground dedicated to the research, development and testing of emerging transportation technologies.
The US$100m SunTrax Connected/Automated Vehicle Test Facility (SunTrax Phase II) will involve the construction of 200 acres of infield roadway and track infrastructure and 13 buildings totaling over 140,000 square feet, as well as stormwater management, civil site/utility and communication facilities. When completed in 2021, it will be used for the research, development and testing of emerging transportation technologies related to tolling, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), smartphone-based technologies and other advanced transportation systems.
HDR’s director of highways and roads, Bernie Arseneau, commented, “Florida’s investment in connected and automated vehicle technologies has the potential to improve the daily lives of residents across the state, and we are proud to support the state’s forward-thinking initiatives.”
