The 33 Smart Mobility Corridor is a key component of Ohio's Smart Mobility Initiative. Originally launched by The Ohio State University, the Ohio Smart Mobility Initiative has quickly evolved to become a collaborative effort among the Ohio Department of Transportation, DriveOhio, the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, The Ohio State University, Case Western Reserve University, University of Cincinnati, University of Dayton, Wright State University, the Transportation Research Center, and the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission.
Ohio's investment of $15 million into the 33 Smart Mobility Corridor project complements another U.S. Department of Transportation grant of $6 million awarded to Dublin, Marysville, and Union County, and matched by local funds, to expand fiber-optic networks linking to US-33, install highway sensors, and retrofit government and private industry fleets to send and receive data. This will greatly reduce highway congestion and improve freeway safety.
As autonomous and connected vehicle research expands throughout the state, Ohio has quickly become the centerpiece of a multi-state highway test network.
DriveOhio
In January 2018, DriveOhio was established as a division of the Ohio Department of Transportation to develop a statewide technology and data framework for the State's smart mobility initiatives. DriveOhio offers manufacturers and researchers one point of contact to coordinate state agency assistance in developing driverless vehicles, “smart” roads, and other technology. DriveOhio is guided by an advisory board of leaders in the automotive and other business sectors.
Connected Marysville
In conjunction with the 33 Smart Mobility Corridor project, the City of Marysville has upgraded all 27 traffic signals in the City and equipping them with Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) radios to be used as Road Side Units (RSUs) aimed at delivering Signal Phase and Timing data and other safety messages to vehicles that have been outfitted with On-Board Units (OBUs). In addition to the deployment at the traffic signals, the project partners have committed to equipping 800-1,000 vehicles that regularly drive streets in the City with OBUs. The goal is to create an environment where companies can develop and test Vehicle to Vehicle (V-V) and Vehicle to Infrastructure (V-I) technology throughout the entire City in a small-town environment, making Marysville the first fully-connected city in the world. Click here for more information.
Transportation Research Center - SMART Center
The Transportation Research Center’s new 540-acre SMART (Smart Mobility Advanced Research and Test) Center is a state-of-the-art hub for automated and autonomous testing within the nation’s largest independent automotive proving grounds.
The SMART Center is designed to test new technologies and highly automated vehicles in a closed, safe, secure and repeatable real-world environment before the vehicles are deployed on public roads and highways.
Components of the SMART Center include:
-
The industry’s largest high-speed intersection
-
The industry’s longest and most flexible test platform (the width of more than 50 highway lanes and the length of 10 football fields)
-
An urban network of intersections, roundabouts, and traffic signals
-
A rural network that includes wooded roads
-
A neighborhood network that tests slower speeds
-
A SMART Center support building
The Ohio-Indiana UAS Center
In January 2018, the NW 33 Council of Governments entered into an agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation and The Ohio/Indiana UAS Center to allow the testing of unmanned aircraft systems along the 33 Smart Corridor. The UAS Center is a division of the Ohio Department of Transportation and serves as the premier UAS support agency for the State of Ohio. The overall mission of the UAS Center is to advance UAS and support flight operations for local, state, and federal government and agencies. More information about the Ohio/Indiana UAS Center can be found here.
Smart Belt Coalition
In January 2017, it was announced that The Ohio State University would begin partnering with academic institutions and transportation agencies in Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania on connected and automated vehicle initiatives. The Smart Belt Coalition (SBC) brings together leaders to support vehicle technology research, testing, policy, funding pursuits, and deployment, as well as share data and provide unique opportunities for private-sector testers. Furthermore, the multi-state initiative provides additional leverage in terms of project size and research dollars toward making roadways safe and secure for all future modes of transportation.
With similar climates, commercial truck traffic, and active work on these technologies in the participating states, the coalition will be a resource for transportation stakeholders and the private sector alike. The coalition is developing its strategic plan, which initially focuses on:
-
Connected and automated applications in work zones, including uniform work-zone scenarios offering consistency for testers as well as technologies offering better information to motorists.
-
Commercial freight opportunities in testing, including platooning (connecting more than one vehicle) and potential coordination on interstates.
-
Incident management applications providing better information to and infrastructure for emergency responders and other agencies.
