Faculty members from The University of New Mexico School of Engineering and Health Sciences Center will collaborate with the University of California, Berkeley on a $10 million, six-year project grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Rural Autonomous Vehicle Program to study the use of automated freight systems in rural communities.
Assistant Professor Lisa Losada-Rojas from the Gerald May Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) and UNM primary investigator (PI) will lead The University's contribution to a multi-university research project, titled ACCEL-RT: Autonomous Cargo Carriers for Enhanced Logistics in Rural & Tribal Areas. Professor Susan Bogus Halter, chair of CCEE, and Distinguished Professor Arthur Kaufman, vice president for community health, are co-PIs on the project. The funding supports the development and deployment of cutting-edge autonomous vehicle technologies to enhance freight logistics in rural and Tribal communities.
The team will also receive support from the New Mexico Transportation Center and Associate Professor Nicholas Ferenchak, director of the Center for Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety.
"Rural communities often face significant challenges due to being underserved by the existing transportation network, which impacts accessibility, safety, healthcare, equity, and workforce or economic development," Losada-Rojas said. "To address some of these issues, ACCEL-RT aims to enhance freight movement through the creation of a multimodal logistics supply chain powered by automation. We acknowledge the importance of collaborating closely with communities to truly understand their needs and priorities."
The project will focus on the I-40 corridor spanning Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. ACCEL-RT aims to address critical transportation challenges by developing sustainable and scalable automated vehicle solutions while engaging directly with underserved communities and fostering workforce development in these regions.
The initiative brings together an interdisciplinary team led by Professor Scott Moura, faculty member and director of Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology (PATH) at UC Berkeley. Other collaborators include Global Logistic Development Partners, University of Oklahoma and Mohave Community College.
UNM will lead a community-based participatory research effort involving community asset mapping, needs assessments and gap analyses. Engagement with communities throughout each phase of the project will be integral, Losada-Rojas said.
Key objectives of ACCEL-RT include:
- Community Engagement: Building trust and partnerships with rural and Tribal stakeholders to ensure the technology addresses local needs and concerns.
- Workforce Development: Creating training and educational opportunities to prepare the workforce for high-tech logistics and autonomous vehicle operations.
- Sustainable, Scalable Solutions: Developing autonomous vehicle freight systems that are environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and adaptable to diverse rural settings.
"Our current transportation infrastructure does not adequately serve rural and Tribal communities. Challenges range from overwhelming truck congestion to medical supply & equipment accessibility," said Professor Scott Moura. "ACCEL-RT will apply the toolbox of automation technologies to resolve these challenges, through a technology development pipeline that pushes R&D to deployment within the communities."
The USDOT's Rural Autonomous Vehicle Program, announced earlier this month, underscores the federal commitment to supporting underserved rural & Tribal communities and advancing automation technologies where they can make significant community impact. Under this program, UC Berkeley PATH and its partners are poised to make significant strides in improving supply chain resilience and economic opportunity in rural America.
