ROAD TECH Addressing the challenges of traffic growth Written by: Road Tech Addressing the challenges of traffic growth 2 CONTENTS Perspectives 04 Foreword 07 Executive summary 08 Introduction 10 Chapter 1: Growing traffic concerns 13 Chapter 2: Advances in technology to address traffic growth 19 Chapter 3: Accelerating adoption of road technology 33 Conclusion 39 3 Road Tech Addressing the challenges of traffic growth PERSPECTIVES Road Tech: Addressing the challenges of traffic growth is an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report, commissioned by Abertis, which examines the role of technology and smart engineering in addressing issues arising from the growth in traffic. The findings are based on desk research and interviews with innovators and subject matter experts. The Economist Intelligence Unit would like to thank the following experts who participated in the interview programme (listed alphabetically): James Anderson, director of Greg Archer, Hari Balakrishnan, the Institute for Civil Justice in director, clean vehicles, chief technology officer RAND Justice, Infrastructure, Transport & Environment of Cambridge Mobile and Environment at RAND Telematics, and MIT professor Corporation “ Unless we get to grips “ Innovators are turning to “ It is a really hard with the growth in transport emissions from smartphones for traffic challenge because road data collection. “In a lot budgets are maintained vehicles, whether they be cars, vans or trucks, of places, the economics by so many different do not justify the entities with so many we are going to miss our climate goals.” deployment [of sensors different budgets, and cameras].” capacities and skills.” José Barbero, dean, Larry Burns, former vice Sten de Wit, Transportation Institute, president of research and spokesman, SolaRoad National University development, General Motors of San Martín “ The idea of putting solar “ It is time the definition “ New technology is panels in roads is not of infrastructure evolved to optimise the energy enabling the collection to include not just the of data that were most yield of individual panels physical components, but to add green energy difficult to obtain before, such as roads and bridges, such as traffic flows. Now harvesting functionality but also digital and to a road network that a lot of this data is readily electronic components.” available for purchase. we build, refurbish and This is incredibly cool.” use anyway, with a positive business case.” Di-Ann Eisnor, Robert Frey, planning Tim Gammons, global head of growth, Waze director, Tampa-Hillsborough smart mobility leader, Arup Expressway Authority “ Having more data will “ Don’t try and build a take away pure opinion “ You need some sort of technology system that or politics, and allow revenue source that you think is going to everyone within a city can attract [the private last you 30 years. You to work together more sector] so that the city can’t future-proof it cohesively.” [government] can deal for everything else that more with performance comes along, because measures as opposed to you’ll never get it right.” managing equipment.” 4 Perspectives The Economist Intelligence Unit bears sole responsibility for the content of this report. The findings and views expressed in the report do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor. Michael Martins and Adam Green authored the report. Melanie Noronha was the editor. Harold Goddijn, chief Ray King, urban traffic Holly Krambeck, senior executive officer, TomTom management control manager, economist, World Bank Newcastle City Council “ It’s happening already. Technology does “ Using cell phones as “ I feel the main risk is the contribute to the sensors is a much pace at which technology optimisation of the road more cost-effective is developing. If we invest network, which can way to collect the in technology today, reduce pollution resulting data cities need to something else will come from traffic jams. Just plan for infrastructure along that makes today’s knowing where you projects.” technology obsolete. have bottlenecks allows You can’t see the local governments to do technology horizon.” something about it.” Ken Leonard, director of the Paul Nieuwenhuis, José Papí, chairman, Smart Intelligent Transportation senior lecturer in logistics Transportation Alliance Systems Joint Program and operations management, Office, US Federal Highway Cardiff University Administration “ Building roads now requires a whole other skill “ Co-operation between “ It is becoming set. In a way, infrastructure government and industry increasingly important is no longer a reserved that helps introduce for [electric vehicle] knowledge area for civil technologies to help manufacturers to take an engineers. You need tackle these challenges interest in the charging industrial engineers, can increase the safety of infrastructure.” the system while helping telecoms engineers, to support mobility and psychologists, economists efficiency goals.” and even lawyers.” Steven Shladover, Bryant Walker Smith, Ben Stanley, global programme manager, assistant professor, School of automotive research lead, Partners for Advanced Transit Law and School of Engineering, IBM Institute of Business and Highways (PATH), University of South Carolina Value, IBM Global Business Institute of Transportation Services Studies, University of California, Berkeley “ We focus on what’s really sexy, which is the “ [Autonomous vehicles] will really take off with “ In the end, it comes down self-driving car. In the the arrival of 5G.” to spending money. If you process, we forget about want more intelligent all of the supporting infrastructure you have to technologies that could allocate the money.” be really important.” Emanuela Stocchi, president, José Viegas, Joe Waggoner, chief executive International Bridge, Tunnel secretary-general, International officer and executive and Turnpike Association Transport Forum, OECD director, Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority “ Even with public-private “ 70% of crashes and partnerships [for road injuries are due to “ If you can plug in new projects], the contract involuntary human error. components as part of has specific obligations It’s just that we are not your replacement and regarding driver safety permanently competent; renewal cycle of pre- and applying the latest we make mistakes.” existing systems you technology. Our main can spread the cost priority is to serve the out over time.” user or driver.” 5 Road Tech Addressing the challenges of traffic growth 6 Foreword FOREWORD BY ABERTIS Around the world, traffic is growing. There are about 1bn vehicles on the road today, and there could be as many as 4bn by 2050. As a global operator of toll roads, this is great news for our business. But at the same time, we understand the real challenges that this traffic growth presents if things don’t change: gridlock, climate change and air pollution. Thanks to advances in technology and smart engineering, new solutions are emerging that can make roads cleaner and more efficient. To date, hert e has been a strong focus on innovations in vehicle technologies. Everywhere I look, there is a new story about the progress that is being made in the automotive industry. Connected, autonomous vehicles are real, and have the potential to change the game for the sector. Electric vehicles are beginning to go mainstream. But roads are the critical and universal platform on which all these technologies need to operate. Unless innovation in road infrastructure keeps pace with the advances in vehicle technologies, traffic growth will remain a huge problem and the true potential of these technologies will not be realised. At Abertis we believe the key to unlocking progress lies at the intersection of advances in technology and innovation in road infrastructure. That is why we commissioned this report, reaching out to experts across sectors and geographies to develop the most comprehensive overview of the technologies and innovations coming through and of what is needed to accelerate their adoption. What we see are numerous ways in which infrastructure is becoming more intelligent, how data is being used to radically transform traffic management and drive new forms of mobility, and how rapid changes in road surface technologies are altering the way we think about roads as assets. What’s most striking is how dependent the future of mobility truly is on collaboration. We know that a world where traffic growth is environmentally, ocialls y and economically viable can only be created by working partnerships between governments and innovators, large and small. And as demands on public finances continue to grow, en w ways to finance the innovations in infrastructure required to support the adoption of these new technologies must be explored. Road infrastructure is the platform for the future of mobility, and Road Tech is at the heart of creating smarter, cleaner and safer roads. 7 Road Tech Addressing the challenges of traffic growth EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A transformation in transportation is under way, at a pace much faster than many anticipated. The confluence of trends in automotive technology, big data and the sharing economy is changing the way people approach travel. Yet in conjunction with the rapid pace of population growth, these advances will contribute to an increase in traffic that is unsustainable. This report explores these technological innovations in road transport infrastructure, to highlight their role in alleviating the challenges of growing traffic. The