This research estimates the costs and benefits of implementing connected eco-driving technology for freight trucks on signalized freight corridors as a strategy to mitigate the impacts of truck traffic. The costs associated with enabling the technology include capital investment for infrastructure upgrades such as upgrading traffic controllers and installing communication modems. The costs also include operating costs for wireless data plans and computing servers. Over a period of 20 years, the total cost for one intersection is estimated to be $18,200. The benefits of the technology include reductions in energy consumption and emissions from a connected truck traveling on connected corridors. Under cold start conditions, the technology could help reduce overall fuel consumption by 20%, and emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter by 22%, 20%, and 15%, respectively. Under hot running conditions, the technology could help reduce overall fuel consumption by 10% and emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter by 10%, 0%, and 41%, respectively. Based on these estimates, connected eco-driving technology can play an important role in addressing greenhouse gas emissions from freight trucks, as well as mitigating the air quality and health impacts associated with truck emissions in communities that are heavily impacted by truck traffic.

California has experienced faster growth in freight volume than freight-related infrastructure, leading to travel delays as well as traffic congestion and air pollution. Onestrategy to improve the efficiency of freight movement while also reducing environmental impacts is to encourage “connected eco-driving.” This could be accomplished by utilizing innovative connected vehicle technology to provide truck drivers real time traffic signal phase and timing information that could be used to determine the best driving speed for passing smoothly through multiple intersections without stopping. The technology has been in research and development for over a decade. While initially developed for passenger cars the connected eco-driving technology has also been applied to other types of vehicles, including Class 8 diesel trucks.

Roadway infrastructure is key to continued economic growth in California, supporting our daily needs for moving both people and goods. In the era of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), there is a strong need for testing the new enabling technology and upgrading current infrastructure to support different types of connectivity and automation. This report summarizes the research team’s efforts to: a) inventory California’s CAV testing facilities and testbeds; b) collaborate with the City of Riverside to upgrade communication capabilities along the Riverside Innovation Corridor and enable both dedicated short range communications (DSRC) and cellular-based communications; c) develop an innovative connected eco-approach and departure (EAD) application for actuated signalized corridors; and d) conduct field operational tests to assess the costs and benefits from infrastructure upgrades. The research shows that despite relatively slower communication time compared to DSRC, cellular-based communications can provide additional benefits to vehicles equipped with eco-driving CAV applications such as EAD, due to its greater communication range. Furthermore, broadcasting Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services correction messages is a cost-effective solution to improving positioning accuracy for equipped vehicles.