Automated Highway System (AHS): System Objectives and Characteristics

The Automated Highway System (AHS) program is a government-industry-academia collaboration to apply automated control technology to the U.S. vehicle-highway system to greatly improve the safety, mobility, and quality of highway travel. The program focuses on a planned evolution from today's vehicle-highway system. The transition will be simplified because some of the basic automated vehicle controls needed for an AHS are starting to appear in today's vehicles. Use of this technology is expected to increase during the next decade. Drivers will be offered Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) services such as adaptive cruise control, collision warning and avoidance systems and automated lane keeping. Infrastructure-to-vehicle communications for traveler information services and advanced traffic management systems will be deployed in the coming years. Automation is one of the most promising approaches for improving vehicle-highway system performance. AHS is capable of providing a level of performance and service that is a generation beyond other ITS services. An AHS can double or triple the efficiency of today's most congested highway lanes while significantly increasing safety and trip quality. An AHS would serve all highway users, opening up new opportunities for transit bus operation, enhancing the safety and productivity of heavy trucks, and offering improved security and dependability to the traveling public. Its efficiency can help reduce both fuel consumption and individual vehicle emissions. The National Automated Highway System Consortium has prepared this document to introduce the current objectives and characteristics expected of a fully automated highway system, with the goal of balancing the needs of users and other stakeholders. These objectives and characteristics are goals and measurable targets used to guide requirements, system specifications, constraints, and criteria for AHS design concepts, prototype testing and system deployment .

• Record URL:
  http://users.ece.cmu.edu/~koopman/ahs/ahs_objectives/AHS.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  National Automated Highway System Consortium

  3001 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 500
  Troy, MI  United States  48084

  Department of Transportation

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Publication Date: 1995-11-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Appendices; Tables;
• Pagination: 67p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Advanced traveler information systems; Advanced vehicle control systems; Automated highway systems; Automated highways; Automatic steering control; Automation; Autonomous intelligent cruise control; Bus transit operations; Crash avoidance systems; Driver information systems; Driver support systems; Environmental protection; Exhaust gases; Fuel consumption; Highway safety; Highway traffic control; Highway travel; Intelligent transportation systems; Level of service; Performance; Strategic planning; Technology; Transportation planning; Traveler information and communication systems; Travelers; Trucking; Trucking safety; Vehicle to infrastructure communications; Warning systems
• Subject Areas: Design; Energy; Environment; Freight Transportation; Geotechnology; Highways; Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; Vehicles and Equipment; I10: Economics and Administration; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I73: Traffic Control; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01055904
• Record Type: Publication
• Contract Numbers: DTFH61-94-X-00001
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 24 2007 12:53PM