Planning in Progress

by Kristen E. Humphrey, MLA, Local Assistance and Training Planner

2022 has marked an exciting year of progress for the Maryland Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) Working Group.

The Working Group is made up of more than 500 state government, local government, industry, and non-profit stakeholders, including institutions of higher learning, dedicated to addressing the opportunities and challenges of integrating CAV technologies into the fabric of Maryland’s mobility systems.

Now in its 8th year, the group has led and collaborated on numerous CAV-related deployment, readiness, education, and planning efforts in 2022. The team produced a variety of content including a new website, educational video, and blog posts with partners across the state, including the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning), the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), and the Maryland Highway Safety Office.

On October 8, 2022, Maryland launched the first ever CAV Awareness Day as proclaimed by the Governor including a social media campaign coordinated across multiple stakeholders. The Working Group provides a collaborative and inclusive environment for CAV planning in Maryland, enabling the state to readily identify new opportunities and respond purposefully to this emerging technology. As the primary coordinator for developing and deploying CAV, MDOT assists the agencies, organizations, and businesses that will integrate CAV technologies into the fabric of transportation throughout the state. This will include how they may influence or impact commercial and personal transportation choices, as well the needs of government at all levels to assess the effects on safety, infrastructure, land use, natural resources, and more.

Public education, however, is just one of five focus areas in which the working group’s members have engaged during the past year. The other four areas include: early deployment and testing; planning and policy; digital and physical infrastructure; and workforce issues. Many exciting endeavors have been launched; a summary of 2022 projects and accomplishments with links to Planning’s blog posts, can be viewed here.

The group is taking on just as many challenging tasks to fulfill their ambitious goals for 2023, which include:

• Outreach to improve awareness of CAV, gain insights of stakeholders, and educate on short-term and long-term needs;
• Deeper dive discussions within Subgroups and other forums on actions to be taken to move Maryland forward on a safe, efficient, and equitable transportation future;
• Next level of partnering with local governments, State agencies, academia, and industry to build on collaborative efforts for integrating CAV technology.

Be sure to check further editions of Planning Practice Monthly for future developments!

For more information, please visit the Maryland CAV website . If you would like to be added to the mailing list for future meetings of the Maryland CAV Working Group, please email CAVMaryland@mdot.maryland.gov.