The New York State Department of Transportation has tapped Volvo Technology North American to lead the effort in developing and demonstrating a Commercial Vehicle Infrastructure Integration program.


With the goal of improving highway user safety, Vehicle Infrastructure Integration technology would create a "smart" vehicle to communicate information to the driver, including safety warnings of potential hazards and general traveler information. This type of technology may also be used to enhance vehicle productivity and improve fuel efficiency.

Under the New York initiative, sponsored by the I-95 Corridor Coalition in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, Volvo will test the applications for commercial vehicles in key transportation areas, including 13 miles of the I-87 Spring Valley Corridor and 42 miles of the I-495 Long Island Expressway.

The Volvo tests will also involve vehicle security, using driver identification and verification with Transportation Worker Identification Credential, an identity card issued by the Transportation Security Administration, and biometric readers to limit operation to authorized drivers only. The technology will also be tested to measure its ability to gather real-time information, such as brake conditions.

The New York team, which is led by Volvo, also includes Booz Allen Hamilton, Kapsch TrafficCom, Cambridge Systematics, Southwest Research Institute and Fitzgerald & Halliday. An advisory team will be made up of representatives from federal, regional, and state transportation agencies, as well as the New York State Motor Truck Association.