CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Transportation is calling for ideas for new and advanced technologies to improve transportation in the state and boost clean modes of travel.
The department said state officials will use what they learn "to inform their future decisions about zero-emission aircraft and automated ground vehicles."
The requests came from NCDOT’s Aviation and Integrated Mobility divisions on Friday, asking for input as they explore new ways to update North Carolina's transportation options.
“As we continue to plan and build the state’s transportation infrastructure, it is important we understand how mobility is changing and how technology and innovation should be better integrated into today’s projects,” said Julie White, who is the NCDOT deputy secretary of Multimodal Transportation.
Input will be accepted until Feb. 19 and NCDOT encourages anyone interested in helping shape the future of transportation to respond.
“This collaborative effort between the Aviation and Integrated Mobility divisions is a great example of our dedication to understanding and planning for the state’s future transportation landscape,” White said.
NCDOT said it is helping pioneer the use of zero-emission airplanes in the state’s aviation system.
For the last few years, its staff has been participating in a program provides NCDOT with "opportunities to conduct operations using unmanned aircraft systems and build partnerships in the advanced air mobility field."
North Carolina's transportation officials are working on several initiatives, including, rolling out new autonomous shuttles. NCDOT deployed its first automated shuttle in 2020 and has since worked with multiple partners to test the autonomous shuttle three more times.
The department said it hopes to use the public information request to build on knowledge for the next generation of automated vehicle pilot projects and better understand what it will take to roll out the zero-emission aircrafts.
It also expects findings from the outreach to "inform their selection of new vehicles, locations, use cases and vendors for future projects."
The requests for information are part of NCDOT’s Advance Mobility NC campaign, which is a collaboration between the state's aviation, integrated mobility and rail divisions. The aim is to create a "multimodal transportation system that improves the mobility of people and freight."