Cooperative ITS (C-ITS) Pilot

€10m European funding to implement C-ITS Ireland Pilot (C-Roads Ireland)

C-Roads Ireland - ID of Grant Agreement
Grant Agreement under Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) – Transport Sector Agreement number: INEA/CEF/TRAN/M2018/1784778
Action No: 2018-IE-TM-0080-S
Action name: C-Roads Ireland
Budget: €10,161,141.5
Maximum CEF contribution: €5,080,570.5
Duration: 01/01/2019 – 31/12/2023 
 
Agency: Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA)
Beneficiary: Department of Transport (former DTTaS)
Implementing Body: TII – Transport Infrastructure Ireland
Since 2019, Ireland is taking an active role in the implementation of the European Union Cooperative-Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) strategy, improving its membership within C-Roads Platform to “Core” member along with other Member States. 
 
This project of €10 Million is funded by the European Union at a 50% funding rate and it was awarded and signed by Ireland in 2019, will allow Ireland to implement a national C-ITS Pilot.
 
 
Being a part of Intelligent Transport Systems, Cooperative ITS (C-ITS or cooperative systems) encompass a group of technologies and applications that allow effective data exchange through wireless communication technologies, very often between vehicles (vehicle-to-vehicle or V2V) or between vehicles and infrastructure (vehicle-to-infrastructure or V2I). C-ITS are to be understood as a broad concept which therefore should not be limited to V2V or V2I communication, but also to include C-ITS applicable to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists or motorcyclists.
 
The deployment of C-ITS is an evolutionary process that will start with less complex use cases that benefit different actors. These are referred to as “Day 1 services”, encompassing messages about traffic jams, hazardous locations, road works and slow or stationary vehicles, as well as weather information and speed advisory related to traffic light frequencies, in order to harmonise traffic. Using probe vehicle and infrastructure related data, C-ITS services can be transmitted directly into the vehicles in a way that allows users to be informed but not distracted. This process will be followed up by testing and later operation of “Day-1.5 services”, i.e. measures about fuelling & charging stations, Park & Ride information, Traffic information & Smart routing.

C-Roads Ireland

The action “C-Roads Ireland” comprises two activities: 

  1. the participation of Ireland as core member of C-Roads Platform 
  2. the implementation of a C-ITS pilot in Ireland. 

C-Roads Platform: The platform of harmonised C-ITS deployment in Europe

The C-Roads Platform is a joint initiative of European Member States and road operators which are in the phase of installing C-ITS for pilots and later operation. Pilot installations will be harmonised, ensuring interoperability based on cooperation within the C-Roads Platform. Key elements are the joint development of technical specifications which provide the basis for all pilot deployments, as well as common cross-site testing to achieve interoperability of the deployed C-ITS services.

Click here to view the Core members of this platform

Click here to view to Core members map

The following is a promotional video from the C-Roads Platform outlining its objectives: 
C-Roads #SafeRoadsTODAY
 

C-ITS Ireland Pilot

The overall aim of the C-Roads Ireland C-ITS pilot is to deploy, trial and evaluate Day-1 and future C-ITS services. The pilot will include development of services to align with Irish priorities, whilst recognising relevant standards and regulation. The pilot will test and evaluate C-ITS services on the Irish Roads Network, predominantly on the Irish TEN-T network and a strategic route approaching and within Dublin City. The pilot will consider how the wider Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility (CCAM) model supports C-ITS and wider CCAM considerations.

Objectives

The objectives of the Irish C-Roads national pilot is as follows:

  • Deploy a national C-ITS pilot and understand the issues associated with developing, delivering and operating C-ITS services,
  • Understand how C-ITS infrastructure and service provision may be scaled to include all Day 1 and Day 1+ services,
  • Test, validate and evaluate the impact of the piloted C-ITS services to understand how this may affect the network and operations and when scaled to higher levels of penetration,
  • Evaluate the impact of C-ITS from a technological, safety, efficiency and compliance perspective and using established guidance from the C-Roads Working Groups, wider European guidance and agreed national approaches,
  • Develop an understanding of the opportunities and limitations of system interoperability, and network operations considering the policy, regulations and standards requirements for C-ITS
  • To enable Ireland's road operators and industry partners to improve their knowledge of future disruptive technologies, and provide a meaningful contribution to the EU knowledge management group/s
  • To support and drive industry involvement which will accelerate C-ITS service development and deployment and support the development of a hybrid network which is fit for the future, and
  • Deliver test & evaluation data and information that can be used to develop a business case for permanent and wider deployment and inform the operating model for C-ITS Services. This data would be considered with the evaluation of data from other C-Roads trials.

C-ITS Pilot Location

The trial location will take place along the Core TEN-T corridor of 355 km, between Cork and the border with Northern Ireland, including M50 in Dublin, and it will be divided into sections that will focus on specific use cases. 
Concretely, besides the platform systems and the site equipment’s required installation, it is foreseen the following equipment in vehicles:
  • 150 Vehicles equipped with V2I ITSG5 V2I;
  • 150 Vehicles equipped with V2I ITSG5 V2V; 
  • 10 Vehicles with On-Board Equipment for V2I CV2X V2V
The route of the C-ITS pilot will have 5 sections:
  • Section 1: M1 between the border with Northern Ireland and Drogheda – a range of services will be tested on this section together with tests to demonstrate interoperability and harmonised services across a simulated border.
  • Section 2: M1 and M50 between Drogheda and the M50/M7 interchange – on this section hybrid communications will be piloted once the ITS-G5 infrastructure has been installed and commissioned such that a range of day 1 services can be piloted and evaluated
  • Section 3: M7 and M8 between M50/M7 interchange and Cork – a range of day 1 services across the service categories will be tested together with development and testing of day 1.5 services
  • Section 4: Dublin – C-ITS services will be piloted within Dublin and along a corridor that connects to the TEN-T network. 
  • Section 5: M7 and N18 between Limerick and the M8 intersection - a range of services are to be piloted on this section, which are likely to include adverse weather warnings (both via V2V and V2I).
Image of the four sections of the C-ITS pilot route.

Schedule

DateSchedule
2019/20 Planning, procurement and development of systems/solutions
2020/22 Pilot deployment, operations and trials
2022/23 Pilot evaluation and assessments, including planning for wider deployment
European Union
C-Roads
Department of Transport

Disclaimer: The content of this article does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in the article therein lies entirely with the authors.