Tribal & Rural Autonomous Vehicles for Efficiency, Livability and Safety (TRAVELS)

Tribal & Rural Autonomous Vehicles for Efficiency, Livability and Safety (TRAVELS) is the passenger transportation component of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rural Autonomous Vehicle (RAV) Research Program, led by the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The project addresses persistent mobility challenges in rural and Tribal communities, where residents often face limited transportation options, long-distance travel needs, restricted access to healthcare and essential services, and fewer after-hours or on-demand services. These challenges are further complicated by roadway, infrastructure, weather, and economic constraints that can limit the feasibility of conventional and emerging mobility solutions. This research examines how automated vehicle technologies, supportive infrastructure, communications systems, and service design strategies can be integrated to improve safety, accessibility, and operational efficiency in rural settings. The project includes demonstration and deployment activities in Wisconsin, Georgia, and Oklahoma, focusing on use cases such as healthcare access, economic transportation, and tourist & event shuttle services. Through testing, evaluation, and before-and-after analyses, the project seeks to identify practical pathways to accelerate automated mobility deployment in rural and tribal areas.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $15,000,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  693JK42650002

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  Washington DC,   United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  University of Wisconsin Madison

  Madison,    
• Performing Organizations:

  University of Wisconsin, Madison

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  1415 Engineering Drive
  Madison, WI  United States  53706

  Oklahoma State University, Stillwater

  School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  Stillwater, OK  United States  74078

  University of Georgia, Athens

  College of Engineering
  Driftmier Engineering Center
  Athens, Georgia  United States  30602

  University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

  Department of Urban Planning/Institute for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation
  Milwaukee, WI  United States 

  University of Washington, Seattle

  Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
  201 More Hall, Box 352700
  Seattle, WA  United States  98195-2700

  Morgan State University

  1700 E. Coldspring Lane
  Baltimore, Maryland  United States  21251

  Northern Oklahoma College

  1220 E. Grand Avenue
  ,Tonkawa, OK  United States  74653
• Principal Investigators:

  Li, Xiaopeng (Shaw)

• Start Date: 20260226
• Expected Completion Date: 20320226
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: Rural Autonomous Vehicle (RAV) Research Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Autonomous vehicles; Demonstration projects; Implementation; Infrastructure; Research; Rural areas
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Research; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01985101
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Connected & Autonomous Transportation Systems (CATS) Laboratory
• Contract Numbers: 693JK42650002
• Files: RIP, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 3 2026 4:46PM