ITS America Pushes for Nationwide V2X Deployment
- Natasha Taylor
- Jun 27, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 14
The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) has developed and introduced a national V2X deployment plan as a call to action for state and local transport agencies, automotive manufacturers, federal government agencies, and other stakeholders to install V2X systems for public safety.
ITS America is the leading advocate for intelligent transportation technology in the United States. The organization brings together both the public and private sectors to advance and implement intelligent transportation systems across the country with the primary goal of saving lives.
ITS America's latest report presents a proposed national V2X deployment plan from the perspective of infrastructure owner-operators (IOOs), original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and a call-to-action for state and local transportation agencies, along with related federal agencies. The report also highlights how interoperability will be achieved, outlines goals for rapid nationwide infrastructure rollout, estimates the rollout cost, and proposes potential funding sources for V2X technology.
Key Points of the National V2X Deployment Plan
The Business Case for National V2X Deployment
The implementation of just two V2X safety applications—Intersection Movement Assistant (IMA) and Left Turn Assist (LTA)—could prevent up to 615,000 crashes annually, saving up to 1,366 lives. This reduction in crashes could result in $55 to $74 billion in savings, with a wider deployment of V2X technology amplifying these benefits.
In addition to safety benefits, V2X technology also offers significant environmental benefits, such as a 16% reduction in emissions through traffic management and signal control, and a potential 33% reduction in emissions through platooning.
V2X technology is proven to work in a range of applications, including vulnerable roadway safety, platooning, road hazard warnings, and transit and freight mobility. ITS America emphasizes that V2X technology is beyond testing, with operational deployments in smaller projects across the US for over five years.
National V2X Deployment: Infrastructure and Costs
The initial phase of the nationwide V2X deployment will focus on rolling out V2X and related infrastructure at signalized intersections—around 330,000 intersections across the US. The short-term goal is to equip 100,000 intersections with RSUs (Roadside Units) and supporting infrastructure, with the long-term target set at 250,000 intersections.
The estimated initial investment for the long-term 10-year plan is around $6.5 billion, which is considered a reasonable and attainable cost for a project of this scale.
Assumptions for V2X Deployment
A successful national deployment is assumed to utilize C-V2X communication in the 5.9 GHz band, leveraging 20 MHz of the 30 MHz allocated by the FCC. This communication will allow for a national C-V2X deployment, with a First Report and Order already issued to establish regulatory certainty. ITS America assumes that C-V2X devices will be deployed once the FCC waivers are issued, which is expected to occur by the end of 2023.
V2X Deployment Timeline
Within three years of national deployment, C-V2X applications will include Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communications, as well as applications for Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs), including road work alerts, emergency vehicle alerts, and vehicle-to-cyclist alerts.
By year five, there will be further deployment in V2X-equipped vehicles, and by year seven, mass production of V2X-enabled vehicles will accelerate. However, ITS America estimates that eight to thirteen years will be required for all vehicles to be equipped with V2X technology.
An illustration of the ITS America V2X Deployment Plan Timeline by Ettifos Future Actions for V2X Deployment
ITS America calls for a unified national deployment utilizing the 5.9 GHz spectrum and expanding V2X deployment beyond signalized intersections. This includes integrating technologies like cellular, Wi-Fi, and other 5G NR-V2X technologies to maximize the public benefits of V2X systems.
Collaboration among government and industry stakeholders is essential for the development of a robust deployment framework that guarantees reliable and secure V2X communication.
The full ITS America report can be accessed here.
About Ettifos:
Founded in 2018, Ettifos is a 5G-focused V2X solutions provider invested in enabling the most advanced smart city/smart intersection deployments and connected vehicles (CV) technology.
The company supplies innovative and versatile OBU and RSU systems tailored to customers’ specific project and service requirements, with the vision of connecting all entities in motion to create a world with safer, smarter, and more efficient roads.
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