In their Performance Measurement and Evaluation Support Plan, the WYDOT Connected Vehicle Pilot identified confounding factors that may impact the ability to successfully implement the evaluation of their pilot and how these factors might be mitigated. The following lessons were drawn from these mitigation approaches:



Expect fluctuations in freight traffic due to confounding factors

• Fluctuations in freight traffic could be caused by goods movement demand changes, economic conditions, fuel prices, or heavier than normal construction seasons, all of which are major variables in the logistic decisions made by fleet managers. If significant changes in the demand is found during the deployment period, economic and freight demand variables will need to be included in any performance modeling of the corridor.

Design a system that includes messages that are as simple to understand as possible

• There is a multitude of possible information that could be provided including speed limits, warnings, incidents ahead, detours, parking opportunities, etc. This could cause an information overload situation or lead to drivers misunderstanding the messages. Design a system that includes messages that are as simple to understand as possible and do human factors testing prior to final design decisions being made.

Ensure you have sufficient crash data available for evaluation purposes

• Typically, crash statics analysis requires multiple years of data for statistically valid results because of the variability of crash frequencies from year to year.

Control for weather condition variability in evaluation design

• The variability of weather events and entire winter weather seasons can present challenges to analyzing pre- and post- system implementation data. Ideally, the evaluation would compare data during similar weather events – though this is not always possible. For best results, the evaluation designs should include both before/after and with/without analysis methods in an attempt to understand the impacts of the CV technology.

Procure equipment whose specs can endure the environment where they will be deployed in (e.g. severe winter weather, significant vibrations)

• Environmental aspects may impact the operational life and capabilities of the equipment. The Wyoming CV Pilot required equipment that could withstand the cold temperatures, high winds and significant snowfall that occurs along the I-80 corridor. In addition, the equipment that was installed on trucks was subjected to harsh noise and vibration. If unreliable equipment is used, the data collection activities to support system performance measurement could be compromised.

Document the mean time between failures (MTBF) associated with each device

• During the performance measurement evaluation, analysis will be conducted to determine the actual MTBF and up-time of the equipment. Although, this may not help data collection if the equipment does not perform as designed, it will provide insight into the times and location of problem areas that will be factored into the evaluation data analysis.

Be prepared for initial resistance to new technology adoption and use by stakeholders

• New technology involving a change in the way people do things is always challenging. For a deployment, there are numerous agency personnel that can be affected, including TMC staff, snowplow drivers, commercial vehicle truck drivers, commercial vehicle company dispatch center personnel, etc. Use system training and technology adoption techniques to ensure project stakeholders are familiar with project goals, system operation, and their role in ensuring a successful CV deployment.