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May 2022 Newsletter

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Welcome to Sullivan Strategies’ monthly newsletter!

This is a fast read about cool innovations and developments at the intersection of transportation, technology and climate. Interested in any of these topics? For May, we focus on exciting innovations like green mail delivery, 5G smart roads, and railroad telematics along with research and more. Interested in any of these topics? Email ruchi@sullivan-dc.com and we can connect you with the folks working in these spaces.


What You Should Look For

5G smart roads: The roads of the future are being developed now. Smart roads or connected corridors are roads built or fitted with advanced features, including sensors that monitor and report real-time road conditions and transmitters that provide connectivity to all vehicles, as well as special physical and digital features that allow for traditional, connected, and autonomous vehicles to seamlessly interact on the same roadway. Cintra, together with top-tier global tech firms, are working on AIVIA, a connected smart road initiative which is helping to manage this transition – maximizing the utility that connected AVs can bring while providing benefits for all road users. AIVIA is now moving effectively from a vision – designs, thinking and analysis – toward deployment in Virginia and Texas. Read more.


Green mail delivery: The United States Postal Service (USPS) fleet consists of over 228,000 vehicles and it is long overdue for an overhaul: over half of the vehicles are nearing the end of their intended lifespan and the current delivery trucks average ten miles per gallon. Responding to the need to modernize its fleet, the United States Postal Service (USPS) awarded a 10-year contract to manufacture replacement vehicles, but only calls for 10% of the next generation fleet to be zero-emission. The remaining vehicles will be built as internal combustion engines. Fortunately, policy experts and legislators are pushing for a more expansive approach to updating the USPS fleet. Want to know more about greening the fleet? Read more.


Highway Research Program: What happens when you combine automation and highway construction? The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and Transportation Research Board answer this question with a study focused on the use of Unmanned Automated Systems (UAS) in highway construction projects. Within the study, the Oregon Department of Transportation (Oregon DOT) used UAS to calculate design and construction work. Overall, they learned that the data used from the start of a collection is vital to these projects. Want to know about some of the other case studies and more about the study? Read More .


Most Innovative: Who are the most innovative transportation companies in 2022? Fast Company business magazine identified 10 of the most innovative transportation companies focused on efforts to improve safety, performance, and sustainability across a range of vehicles. AVs remain one of the major focus areas with companies like AEye, helping vehicles to quickly and accurately identify and steer clear of threats on the road. As automakers prepare to deploy higher levels of autonomy, lidar solutions like AEye’s will be necessary to do so safely. Lidar fills in the performance gaps left by other sensors so that the car’s path-planning system can make the safest driving decision. Want to see who else made the list? Read more.


Rail Pulse: Imagine knowing the condition of a train in a matter of minutes. It may seem far-fetched, but the future is closer than ever before. Several rail companies including Norfolk Southern, Genesee & Wyoming, and others worked on developing a telematics platform for rail to provide a real-time location and condition, helping railroads manage incidents and maintenance. Known as “Rail Pulse”, investors and researchers expect its rollout by the year-end of 2022. For more information about investors, and early phases read more.


What We're Watching

What are we keeping an eye on? Here are some hot topics we’re watching out for.

  • Postal Vehicle Modernization Act: Introduced by Jared Huffman, the bill establishes requirements for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) vehicle purchases and charging station. For more information, read here

  • United States Innovation and Competition Act: Introduced by Eddie Bernice Johnson, the bill addresses U.S. technology and communications, foreign relations and national security in domestic manufacturing. For more information, read here

That's all we have for this month's newsletter, if you're interested in these topics, reach out to ruchi@sullivan-dc.com with any questions or concerns.

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