Federal Highway Administration National Dialogue on Highway Automation: August 1-2, 2018 Digital Infrastructure and Data Workshop Summary

Key Takeaways

USDOT Has a Role in Facilitating Conversations About Data and Digital Infrastructure²

Many issues related to data and digital infrastructure involve multiple parties, including State agencies, cities, and private companies. As a result, it may be necessary to bring all stakeholders together in cooperative discussions around shared goals. Several meeting participants suggested that the Federal Government is uniquely positioned to convene and facilitate conversations about data and digital infrastructure.

Use Cases Can Help Provide a Framework for Defining Data Needs

Throughout the workshop, those in attendance frequently discussed how use cases can help stakeholders to better understand data and digital infrastructure needs. Use cases can define what data is being exchanged, by whom, and for what purpose. Insights gained from developing use cases can enable decision making by IOOs and policymakers. Use cases can help determine where opportunities exist for mutual benefit in data exchanges between entities. They can also help guide thinking around which entities could be responsible for storing, maintaining, sharing, or accessing data.

Data Standardization and Consistency Are Important for Interoperability

Consistency in data formats, standards, and requirements can support effective data exchanges and AV operations, although it is unclear what level of standardization or harmonization is necessary. Participants suggested that data and digital infrastructure for highway automation would benefit from voluntary, consensus-based technical standards. Although it is unclear what level of standardization or harmonization is necessary, consistency in data formats, standards, and requirements can support effective data exchanges and AV operations. A consideration is that different use cases or applications could require varying levels of standardization. Several workshop participants in attendance suggested that some data and digital infrastructure requirements could be harmonized to acceptable levels without any additional attempts by government to manage them and that stakeholders should be aware of work by standards development organizations.

Critical Data Issues Must Be Addressed Cooperatively

During the workshop, attendees identified several critical data issues that they said require further exploration and collaboration. Some emphasized that they could only be addressed through a cooperative approach with stakeholders. They include the following:

• Ensuring cybersecurity of the system
• Protecting confidential business information
• Managing liability risk in data disclosures
• Preserving data security – protecting against unauthorized access or tampering
• Protecting personal privacy
• Providing data quality
• Addressing data lifecycle management and maintenance

In some cases, providers or third-party users of the data have made commitments regarding protections of collected data. Some saw a need for independent monitoring of data exchanges.

A Roadmap or Shared Vision Around AVs May Be Beneficial

Some participants expressed desire for a national vision or roadmap to help focus the conversation around end goals for a national digital infrastructure system and support an approach for achieving those goals. Workshop participants discussed the value of defining such a roadmap or national vision for highway automation. Some asserted that USDOT is well-positioned to develop this shared vision because of its national scope, convening power, and ability to balance multiple interests.