We mustnt be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology. This has happened again and again in historytechnology has advanced and this changes social conditions and suddenly people have found themselves in a situation which they didnt foresee and doing all sorts of things they didnt really want to do.

Visionary thinker and author Aldous Huxley made that statement in a 1958 interview. The context was broad-ranging and had nothing to do with transportation. But couldnt this prophetic quote just as easily apply to our current situation with the advancing technology that inevitably will determine our transportation infrastructure and how we get from point A to point B?

Weve already been caught by surprise when it comes to smartphones. These little gadgets are impressive technology, indeed, but we are doing all sorts of things we shouldnt do with them, such as staring at the miniature screens instead of watching the road.

It may be too late to get a hold on the smartphone mania, but we still have time with the burgeoning technology of intelligent cars and roadways. Some of that tech already here, but its only the tip of the iceberg. On the horizon is a day when cars will be able to do most, if not all, of the work.

It appears that transportation leaders are working diligently to get ahead of the curve so as to avoid being caught by surprise.

But the express lanes project is just one of several that have already begun.

Heres a rundown of other pilot projects aimed at the future of smart transportation:

One of three projects initiated by the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2015 is based in New York City, according to an article in Public Roads, a Federal Highway Administration publication that laid out details for the pilot programs.

This program takes aim at how connected-vehicle technology can improve safety in packed urban areas, according to the Public Roads article, which notes that there are about 4,000 injuries and 250 traffic-related deaths on the streets of New York each year.

In this pilot, 310 intersection signals have been fitted with instruments that will communicate with specially equipped vehicles and pedestrians who have devices to help them safely cross streets.

According to the Public Roads article, drivers who use the reversible express lanes on the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway in Tampa experience significant delays in the morning commuter rush (Sound familiar?).

The expressway is surrounded by connector roads and other streets where trolleys and pedestrians are added to the mix.

For this pilot, some 1,500 cars, 10 buses and 10 trolleys will be fitted with communication devices allowing them to communicate with units that will be installed along the roadside. Also, 500 pedestrians will use smartphone apps as part of the program.

The third pilot project is focused on Interstate 80 in Wyoming, considered a major freight corridor (Sound familiar?), through which more than 32 million tons of products are hauled annually, according to the Public Roads article.

For this program, vehicle-to-vehicle technology will be installed in tractortrailers, state fleet vehicles, snowplows and police patrol cars so they can communicate with roadside equipment along a 400-mile stretch of the interstate.

The vehicles will be able to receive information on such things as roadway alerts, parking notifications and trip guidance.

Buckle up, folks, its a brave new world.

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GETTING THERE: Technology can be friend or foe - Fredericksburg.com