Project: #483 Contributions to the Dept of Transportation Intelligent Transportation Systems Program Advisory Committee Progress Report - Reporting Period Ending: March 31, 2025 Principal Investigator: Jon Peha Status: Active Start Date: July 1, 2024 End Date: June 30, 2025 Research Type: None Grant Type: Other Grant Program: US DOT BIL, Safety21, 2023 - 2028 (4811) Grant Cycle: Safety21 : 24-25 Progress Report (Last Updated: March 6, 2025, 12:41 p.m.) % Project Completed to Date: None % Grant Award Expended: None % Match Expended & Document: None USDOT Requirements Accomplishments The primary stated objective of this project is to serve on the Department of Transportation's Intelligent Transportation Systems Program Advisory Committee (ITSPAC), which advises the Secretary of Transportation on issues related to an Intelligent Transportation System. There are no specific accomplishments to report from this portion of the work. In addition to this advisory committee, the PI also continued research on technology and public policy for connected vehicles, the wireless communications systems that allow vehicles to communicate with each other, with roadside infrastructure, and even with pedestrians. Results of this work were disseminated in a paper published in IEEE Access, which is a peer-reviewed IEEE journal. Results were also disseminated in a poster presented at the Safety21 Deployment Partner Consortium in Nov. 2024. As a result of this work, two MS students, one in the Dept. of Engineering & Public Policy and one in the Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, have had a valuable educational opportunity. They participated actively in the research. Both students were co-authors of the journal paper. One of these students presented the poster at the Safety21 Deployment Partner Consortium. In the next reporting period, I hope to complete another paper on this topic, and submit it to a major research conference. Impacts We have made great progress on a novel approach that would allow connected vehicles to effectively use unlicensed spectrum while maintaining adequate quality of service. This will constitute a valuable contribution to the body of knowledge related C-V2X and NR-V2X technology and the body of knowledge related to spectrum policy and spectrum sharing more generally. This research is intended to support informed decisions by policymakers on spectrum decisions related to connected vehicles. In the U.S., two agencies are involved in those the decisions: the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Transportation (DoT). The PI is a member of official advisory committees (FACAs) to both agencies: the FCC's Technological Advisory Council (TAC), including the subcommittee of the FCC TAC that deals with spectrum for use such as connected vehicles, and DoT's ITSPAC. These have been important avenues for technology transfer to key decision-makers. Other We made progress in the invention of a novel way for intelligent transportation systems to make effective use of unlicensed spectrum in a way that meets the quality of service objectives for connected vehicles, the quality of service objectives for unlicensed devices such as Wi-Fi, and the desires of spectrum regulators to improve spectrum efficiency. Outcomes New Partners None Issues I expected most of this $8K grant to go to travel to Washington DC to attend regular in-person meetings of the Department of Transportation's Intelligent Transportation Systems Program Advisory Committee (ITSPAC). However, ITSPAC did not meet in person during the second half of 2024. As a result, very little money has been spent. (Although I did charge about $100 to make a poster for the Safety21 Deployment Partner Consortium.) Now, we have a new Administration, and ITSPAC's future is not clear. I do not know if it will meet before June 30, so there may be no travel to ITSPAC meetings this year to pay for.