Guidebook for Implementation of UAS Operational Capabilities

State departments of transportation (DOTs) and local agencies are utilizing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in more day-to-day operations such as asset inspections, operations, traffic incident management, mapping, bridge and structure inspections, geographic information system (GIS), environmental requirements, and a variety of other uses. However, there have been different challenges of integrating UAS operational capabilities into U.S. national airspace system. These unique challenges are related to (1) overlapping jurisdictional decision-making, funding, regulations and rules, and infrastructure development; (2) identifying roles and responsibilities, areas of overlap, and gaps in responsibilities; and (3) undefined or unaddressed issues that need work and options for mediating conflicting roles and responsibilities. Additionally, external developments on package delivery via UAS and advanced air mobility (AAM) raise issues about their safe operation over state and local rights-of-way and needed ground infrastructure and air space management. There is a need to aid state DOTs and local agencies in addressing the operational challenges and issues, and develop a roadmap for implementation of UAS operational capabilities. The objective of this research is to develop a guidebook to assist state DOTs and local agencies with the implementation of UAS operational capabilities.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5097

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $279918
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 23-20

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Abu-Hawash, Ahmad

• Performing Organizations:

  WSP USA

  One Penn Plaza
  250 W 34th Street
  New York, New York  United States  10119
• Principal Investigators:

  Wheeler, Paul

• Start Date: 20221014
• Expected Completion Date: 20241013
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aircraft operations; Airspace (Aeronautics); Airspace utilization; Handbooks; Oversight; Plan implementation; Regulations; State departments of transportation; Unmanned aircraft systems
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Law; Operations and Traffic Management; Policy;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01768206
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 23-20
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Mar 25 2021 2:16PM