Texas TRUST Demonstration Passes Test and Advances to Next Phase
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute-led Texas TRUST — short for Transforming Roads: Unleashing Smart Technologies — completed and passed its operational readiness demonstration for representatives from the Federal Highway Administration and Noblis on July 14. The $19.2 million federally funded grant aims to demonstrate a connected transportation ecosystem across the Greater Houston metropolitan area and Bryan-College Station regions.
TTI has completed all the deliverable requirements in addition to demonstrating the technical expertise. Together, these accomplishments complete the full set of Phase 1 project requirements. TTI is pleased to announce that it is moving on to Phase 2 of the project.
“TTI commends the U.S. Department of Transportation for its leadership and forward-thinking approach and for supporting the collaboration among numerous infrastructure owners, operators and partners involved in bringing this phase to fruition,” said TTI Principal Investigator Robert Brydia. “Additionally, we want to thank all of our project partners who contributed immeasurably to the successful outcomes.”
The demonstration marked the culmination of 22 months of systems engineering, technology integration, software development and testing by researchers, engineers, public agencies and industry partners.
V2X technology allows vehicles, roadside infrastructure and mobile devices to exchange information wirelessly. By sharing real-time information, V2X can give motorists greater awareness of traffic signals, pedestrians, bicyclists, emergency vehicles, work zones and other conditions outside a driver’s direct line of sight.
Before the project’s technologies could be deployed in active transportation environments, the team had to demonstrate that the systems functioned as intended and met federal technical requirements.
Over several months, the project team submitted systems engineering documents detailing the architecture, requirements, user needs and testing plans for each application. The demonstration provided an opportunity to showcase the remaining applications developed during the project’s first phase.
“V2X isn’t about replacing drivers,” Brydia said. “It’s about giving drivers critical information they otherwise would never have, precisely when they need it most.”
Nearly four inches of rain fell across the Bryan-College Station area on July 14, turning a carefully planned technology demonstration into an unexpected example of why connected transportation matters.
With visibility significantly reduced at the Texas A&M RELLIS Campus, drivers approaching the test intersection had difficulty seeing the traffic signal heads. V2X technology, however, continued to communicate information about the signal, surrounding infrastructure and potential roadway hazards. The conditions provided a fitting backdrop.
During the demonstration, the system successfully communicated traffic signal status, warned of potential red-light violations, detected and alerted drivers to vulnerable road users, and supported emergency vehicle preemption.
Although the applications were demonstrated in a controlled testing environment, the severe weather introduced conditions similar to those drivers may encounter on the road.
With the completed FHWA review and successful demonstration, the team can begin transitioning the applications from system development and controlled testing to operational deployments throughout the project area.
Reaching the milestone required intensive coordination among researchers, software developers, engineers, technicians, project managers, students, government agencies and private-sector technology providers.
The project’s infrastructure owner and operator partners include the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the city of College Station, the city of Houston, Missouri City, Fort Bend County, Texas A&M Transportation Services and Texas A&M Emergency Services. FHWA, Noblis, Applied Information and Paradigm Systems Inc., GM, Audi, and others.
TTI agency director, Gregory Winfree said, “The collaboration between the partners demonstrates how we can work to solve together to solve transportation’s greatest problems and serve the people of Texas and beyond. TTI is proud to lead this project and appreciates the foresight and support of the Federal Highway Administration and TXDOT.”
These partnerships are essential because connected transportation systems must communicate securely and consistently across different vehicles, devices, infrastructure systems and jurisdictional boundaries.
For the Texas TRUST team, the demonstration represents both the conclusion of an intensive development period and the beginning of the project’s next chapter.
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