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MnDOT is researching and piloting connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology that will help the state prepare for future transportation needs in Minnesota. The below list highlights some of the top projects completed by the MnDOT CAV team in the last few years. Each project has a link to a separate project page that includes detailed project information and a project summary document.

The full project report is available upon request, please reach out to MnDOTCAV.DOT@state.mn.us for access.

Project Title: Variable Pedestrian Clearance Interval (VPCI)

Project Description: The Variable Pedestrian Clearance Interval (VPCI) Project consisted of deploying, testing, and analyzing the results of installing video at an intersection to extend the Flashing Don't Walk (FDW) interval as needed when pedestrians were still located within the crosswalk.
Project Completion Date: May 2018
Project web page link

Project Title: MnDOT Autonomous Bus Pilot

Project Description:The MnDOT Autonomous Bus Pilot project consisted of deploying a Level 4 shuttle provided by EasyMile on the MnROAD facility.
Project Completion Date: May 2018
Project web page link

Project Title: Rochester Automated Shuttle Pilot: Med City Mover

Project Description: The Rochester Automated Shuttle Pilot was a research project that included the 12-month demonstration (August 2021 - August 2022) of two highly automated and electric vehicles to over 3,000 passengers along a fixed route downtown in the City of Rochester.
Project Completion Date: February 2023
Project page link

Project Title: White Bear Lake Automated Shuttle Pilot: Bear Tracks

Project Description: The Bear Tracks Automated Shuttle Pilot was a research project that included the 12-month operation (August 2022-July 2023) of a Level 3 Automated Vehicle (AV) Shuttle along a 1.5-mile-long route in the city of White Bear Lake.
Project Completion Date: March 2024
Project web page link

Project Title: Passive Pedestrian Detection Analysis

Project Description: The Passive Pedestrian Detection Analysis project reviewed a variety of commercially available passive detection systems.
Project Completion Date: January 2023
Project web page link

Project Title: Grand Rapids Automated Shuttle Pilot: goMARTI

Project Description:The goMARTI self-driving shuttle pilot was a research project in Grand Rapids, Minnesota that included the 27-month on demand, point-to-point deployment (October 2022 – December 2024) of five highly automated vehicles, carrying over 18,000 passengers.
Project Completion Date: December 2024
Project web page link

Project Title: Real-Time Integration of Arrow Board Messages into Traveler Information Systems

Project Description: The pilot project involved 20 arrow boards equipped with a status monitoring unit to test displaying real-time information to travelers related to stationary and mobile lane closures.
Project Completion Date: March 2019
Project web page link:

Project Title: MnDOT Traffic Camera Maximizer

Project Description: This project involved the implementation of a Traffic Camera Maximizer (TCM). The Traffic Camera Maximizer was proposed to broaden the reach of MnDOT assets to improve situational awareness of driving conditions across the state.
Project Completion Date: December 2019
Project web page link:

Project Title: Centralized SPaT and MAP Data Sharing

Project Description: The project assessed MnDOT’s ability to share signal phasing and timing (SPaT) data and intersection geometry (MAP) data to travelers and third-party systems via a centralized process.
Project Completion Date: November 2020
Project web page link:

Project Title: Connected Corridor

Project Description: The Connected Corridor was a foundational Connected Vehicle (CV) project along TH-55 that included planning, design, deployment, and operation of CV technologies to create a better understanding of what is required for planning and preparing for emerging transportation technologies.
Project Completion Date: August 2020
Project web page link:

Project Title: Automated Waze Imports

Project Description: The project involved importing all alert types from Waze, determining which events should be documented based on reliability and confidence scores, adding expected delays to 511 events, determining which jams should be eligible for import into 511, and adding directional information to displayed jams.
Project Completion Date: June 2021
Project web page link:

Project Title: Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx): CARS eXchange

Project Description: The Condition Acquisition and Reporting System (CARS) eXchange project was put in place to support the FHWA’s goal of increasing safety for the traveling public by sharing real-time work zone information between the public and private sectors, under an FHWA grant.
Project Completion Date: July 2022
Project web page link:

Project Title: Assessment of Pedestrian Safety and Driver Behavior Near AVs

Project Description: Driverless vehicles provide the transportation industry with fiscal and environmental benefits, but concerns remain regarding the interaction between driverless vehicles and drivers of manual vehicles. In Rochester, Minnesota, interactions between a driverless shuttle and other vehicles were observed in a pedestrian-heavy area of the city.
Project Completion Date: February 2024
Project web page link:

Project Title: Connected Vehicle Traveler Alert System

Project Description: The Connected Vehicle Traveler Alert System project was implemented to increase traveler awareness and subsequently increase safety of the traveling public by notifying them of upcoming maintenance vehicles or snowplows that may not have been in the line of sight.
Project Completion Date: December 2023
Project web page link:

Project Title: Cost/Benefit Analysis of Fuel-Efficient Speed Control using SPaT Data

Project Description: MnDOT's Connected Corridor project in 2020 contributed to progress in the development and deployment of technology for vehicle-to-infrastructure communications. Using signal phasing and timing (SPaT) data from signalized intersections to control driving speed, this project completed a cost benefit analysis for use of SPaT data in connected vehicles (CVs) and its effect on fuel efficiency.
Project Completion Date: March 2023
Project web page link:

Project Title: Dynamic Flashing Yellow Arrow Phase Mode Selection

Project Description: This project focused on utilizing high-resolution signal data, crash data, and volume data to analyze safety impacts associated with the three left-turn phasing modes that flashing yellow arrows could operate in and determine when the various modes should operate
Project Completion Date: August 2023
Project web page link:

Project Title: Community Driven CAV

Project Description: The Community Driven CAV project piloted a process to start with the community to identify transportation challenges and then work together to identify potential CAV solutions to those challenges. This work resulted in potential demonstration concepts for the Creative Enterprise Zone and a Community-Driven Planning Framework, which can be used by others looking to do community led planning.

Project Completion Date: June 2024

Project web page link

Project Title: Fiber Optic Feasibility and Partnership Study

Project Description: The Fiber Optic Feasibility and Partnership Study aimed to develop a strategic plan for future fiber connectivity by utilizing public-private partnerships.

Project Completion Date: February 2022

Project web page link

Project Title: Drive MN

Project Description: Automated vehicles (AVs) rely heavily on roadway infrastructure to function. This project used technology-equipped research vehicles to drive over 1,000 miles of Minnesota roadways to gain a better understanding of potential infrastructure issues that would inhibit the operations of AVs.

Project Completion Date: January 2023

Project web page link

Project Title: Automated Truck Mounted Attenuator

Project Description: The automated truck mounted attenuator project sought to evaluate and deploy automation technology in support of MnDOT maintenance work zones. The main project goal was to find a solution to improve worker safety by removing the human from the host truck, a position with high exposure to being hit by the traveling public.
Project Completion Date: March 2025
Visit the Automated Truck Mounted Attenuator project page

Project Title: Lane Boundary Guidance System for Snowplow Operations

Project Description: A new lane boundary guidance system will make plowing easier, safer and more efficient. Researchers developed the system using GPS and navigation technology to locate a truck’s position in the lane and display that information in the truck’s cab. Forward-facing radar can also alert drivers to upcoming obstacles.
Project Completion Date: August 2023
Visit the Lane Boundary Guidance System for Snowplow Operations project page

Project Title: Machine Vision for Asset Management

Project Description: This project investigated the use of evolving machine vision technologies to improve asset management procedures. The team explored currently available commercial products and open-source academic algorithms and approaches, with a focus on approaches that allow the use of imagery that MnDOT already collects—such as the pavement management VideoLog and snowplow dash cameras.
Project Completion Date: June 2024
Visit the Machine Vision for Asset Management project page

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CAV Partnerships

Learn more about what CAV partners are doing to plan and prepare.

CAV in MN

Multimodal

Project Title: Variable Pedestrian Clearance Interval (VPCI)

Project Title: MnDOT Autonomous Bus Pilot

Project Title: Rochester Automated Shuttle Pilot: Med City Mover

Project Title: White Bear Lake Automated Shuttle Pilot: Bear Tracks

Project Title: Passive Pedestrian Detection Analysis

Project Title: Grand Rapids Automated Shuttle Pilot: goMARTI

Traffic and Safety

Project Title: Real-Time Integration of Arrow Board Messages into Traveler Information Systems

Project Title: MnDOT Traffic Camera Maximizer

Project Title: Centralized SPaT and MAP Data Sharing

Project Title: Connected Corridor

Project Title: Automated Waze Imports

Project Title: Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx): CARS eXchange

Project Title: Assessment of Pedestrian Safety and Driver Behavior Near AVs

Project Title: Connected Vehicle Traveler Alert System

Project Title: Cost/Benefit Analysis of Fuel-Efficient Speed Control using SPaT Data

Project Title: Dynamic Flashing Yellow Arrow Phase Mode Selection

Policy and Planning

Project Title: Community Driven CAV

Project Title: Fiber Optic Feasibility and Partnership Study

Project Title: Drive MN

Maintenance Operations

Project Title: Automated Truck Mounted Attenuator

Project Title: Lane Boundary Guidance System for Snowplow Operations

Project Title: Machine Vision for Asset Management

Get Involved

Stay Informed

CAV Partnerships