Road Asset Management and The Vehicles of The Future: An Overview, Opportunities, and Challenges

International Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems Research
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13177-023-00366-0
Road Asset Management and the Vehicles of the Future: An Overview,

Opportunities, and Challenges
Matheus Gomes Correia1 · Adelino Ferreira1
Received: 27 June 2023 / Revised: 27 June 2023 / Accepted: 25 August 2023

© The Author(s) 2023
Abstract
Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) have the potential to significantly impact transportation systems in terms of
mobility, the environment, safety, and the economy. These vehicles rely on a range of sensors and cameras to detect road
signs and lane markings, as well as to scan their surroundings, and they are connected to other vehicles and infrastructures.
Previous research has highlighted the need for transport asset management processes to manage the intrinsic aspects of
CAVs more effectively, with a view to improving performance, resource utilization, and budget planning. However, little
literature was found with a deep discussion of how CAVs will impact asset management. In this article we offer an initial
discussion on the impacts of CAVs on road asset management. To do so, we first provide a short introduction to CAVs,
followed by an overview of road asset management. We then comprehensively discuss many asset management aspects
that are affected by CAVs. Finally, future research opportunities, challenges, and important subjects are outlined.
Keywords Road asset management · Connected vehicles · Automated vehicles · Autonomous vehicles · Intelligent
transportation systems · Transport infrastructure
List of abbreviations HD igh-Definition

H
AASHTO American Association of Highway and Trans- I2V Infrastructure-to-Vehicle
portation Officials ICT Information and Communications Technology
ADS Automated Driving System ISO International Organization for Standardization
AI Artificial Intelligence ITS Intelligent Transportation System
AV Automated Vehicle KPI Key Performance Indicator
BIM Building Information Modelling LiDAR Light Detection and Ranging
BSC Balanced ScoreCard LOS Level of Service
CAR Center for Automotive Research OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and
CAV Connected and Automated Vehicle Development
CITS Cooperative Intelligent Transportation System ML Machine Learning
CV Computer Vision NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research
DE Digital Engineering Program
DSRC Dedicated Short-Range Communications NYSDOT New York State Department of Transportation
DSS Decision Support Systems PDCA Plan-Do-Check-Act
GIS Geographic Information System PSC Public Sector Consulting
GPS Global Positioning System RAM road Asset Management
RSU Roadside Unit
SAE Society of Automobile Engineers
SAEV Shared Autonomous Electric Vehicle
Adelino Ferreira SAMP Strategic Asset Management Plan
adelino@dec.uc.pt
TQM Total Quality Management
1
Department of Civil Engineering, Univ Coimbra, CITTA – TAM Transport Asset Management
Research Centre for Territory, Transports and Environment, UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Coimbra 3030-790, Portugal
13
UNECE United Nations Economic Commission for Scopus database showed that more than a thousand jour-
Europe nal papers have been published in the field of infrastruc-
USDOT United States Department of Transportation ture combined with automated vehicles (AVs) since 2015.
V2D Vehicle-to-Device In 2016, 40 papers were published, while more than 250
V2G Vehicle-to-Grid papers were published in 2022, showing the rising interest
V2I vehicle-to-infrastructure in the subject, as seen in Fig. 1.
V2M Vehicle-to-Motorcycle Most current research in intelligent transportation sys-
V2N Vehicle-to-Network tems has focused on the technology and systems of con-
V2P Vehicle-to-Pedestrian nected and automated vehicles (CAVs) [5], especially the
V2V Vehicle-to-Vehicle technological challenges. Several studies are tackling
V2X Vehicle-to-Everything problems such as lane change maneuver [6, 7], traffic and
route planning [8–10], shared autonomous electric vehicle
(SAEV) operations [11–14], object identification using arti-
1 Introduction ficial intelligence [15, 16], and even privacy and cyberat-
tacks on automated vehicles [17, 18].
Automotive computation has been studied since the 1970s There are many challenges related to the connection
when engines could not meet strict new emission regula- and role of transportation agencies with CAV systems [19,
tions [1]. Since then, vehicle sensors have been widespread 20]. These challenges need to be better researched accord-
and nowadays a normal vehicle can possess hundreds of ing to existing literature. Key challenges include financ-
sensors [2]. These sensors can provide valuable information ing, staffing/workforce, understanding of possible impacts,
to the driver, while protecting the passengers. These include deployment, maintenance, data generation and ownership,
collision sensors that automatically activate airbags, tighten integration with existing infrastructure, and the transition
seatbelts and, more recently, activate breaks, avoiding pos- and adoption process.
sible collision. It is essential to address these challenges to meet the needs
Currently, it is expected that vehicles can reach full of the CAV environment. Nevertheless, more research is
driving automation (level 5 of SAE definition) in the near necessary on how to solve them effectively. Research found
future. Additionally, other communication systems, such as in the literature focusses more on issues related to vehicles
vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure, and vehicle-to- and roadside units (vehicular communication systems),
everything communication, are being developed, providing rather than other aspects, such as legislation and infrastruc-
vehicles and roadside units information such as safety warn- ture. While several gaps have been identified, more detailed
ings and traffic information [3]. However, for them to be research on these topics is required. Additionally, to the best
implemented and used, these technologies demand changes of the authors’ knowledge, only very few works have been
of infrastructure and road asset management. Furthermore, found on Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar data-
according to the European Commission [4], the transport bases directly relating road asset management (RAM) with
sector cannot achieve higher levels of autonomous driving connected/automated vehicles, as outlined in Table 1.
without an adequate physical road infrastructure. Sinha et al. [21] start with a broad overview on the trans-
Interest in this topic is rapidly evolving in academia, port asset management, before heading into the challenges
reflected in the number of papers published in recent years. and opportunities, which include the advent of automated
vehicles. Osichenko and Spielhofer [3] also present relevant
topics and future challenges for the road asset management,
including vehicles with advanced driver assistant systems,
but do not explore in depth the implications of CAVs for
asset management. Sobanjo [22] dedicates a section to asset
management requirements for CAVs, but the work is mainly
focused on the infrastructure requirements for CAVs.
While these works discuss CAVs and RAM to some
degree, they do not link the topics together nor go deeply
into the various aspects of asset management needs for
CAVs. Therefore, the main novelty of this work is to pro-
vide a better understanding on how road asset management
can be affected by the advent of CAVs. It presents an over-
view of CAVs and how they operate in Sect. 2, followed
Fig. 1 Number of articles published since 2016
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Table 1 Approaches from the literature

Discussed topics Literature found
Sinha et al. [21] Osichenko and Spielhofer [3] Sobanjo [22] This study
CAV X X X X
RAM X X X X
CAV Road Infrastructure X X X
+ Digital Infrastructure X X X X
RAM Policy X X
Innovation X
Readiness of Agencies X
Challenges and Opportunities X X X
by an overview of road asset management (Sect. 3), which type of communication can also be used to allow interaction
is necessary to understand the connection between CAVs with road infrastructure, such as traffic signals, work zones,
and their impact on asset management (discussed in detail and toll booths [26].
in Sect. 4). Finally, conclusions and recommendations for Both types of vehicles contain some driving automa-
future research are presented in Sect. 5. tion system or technology, which is defined by SAE J3016
standard as “the hardware and software that are collectively
capable of performing part or all of the dynamic driving task
2 Connected and Automated Vehicles on a sustained basis” [24], on any level of automation. In
Overview this work the terms “autonomous vehicles” (AV) and “con-
nected vehicles” (CV) will be extensively used to describe
To better understand how the vehicles of the future may vehicles that do not need any human intervention for con-
impact road asset management, this section presents a control, with (CV) or without (AV) connection to other vehicles
cise overview of Connected and Automated Vehicles with a and infrastructure. For the sake of abbreviation, the term
basic introduction to these vehicles and how they operate. “connected and autonomous vehicles” (CAV) will be used
to refer to both types of vehicles.
2.1 Introduction and Definitions According to PSC and CAR [27], three categories that
can be used to classify approaches to CAV technology:
The terms “connected”, “automated”, and “autonomous” intelligent transportation systems; automated vehicle sys-
are often used interchangeably when referring to driving tems; and connected vehicle systems. These categories are
automation. Therefore, it is vital to distinguish between shown in more detail in Fig. 2.
these terms from the outset. In control systems, autono- In terms of transportation only, CAVs have the poten-
mous means self-government, so autonomous controllers tial to change not only the way we conceive the concept of
have the ability to perform without external intervention mobility, but to reduce transportation time and costs, and
over a considerable period [23]. However, this meaning was increase road capacity and fuel efficiency, thus also reduc-
broadened over time “to not only encompass decision making emissions [22, 27, 28]. This work will further discuss
ing, but to represent the entire system functionality, thereby the benefits of these vehicles and the sector’s challenges.
becoming synonymous with automated” [24].
The term “autonomous” is used more widely than “auto- 2.2 Automated Vehicles Systems
mated”, even if “automated” is a more accurate term [25].
In the strict sense of the word, an autonomous vehicle would According to Shladover [5] there have so far been four
independently decide its destination and route, for exam- waves of Research and Development (R&D) on automated
ple, regardless of the driver’s/passenger’s choice, while an road vehicles, and we are currently living in the fourth one,
automated vehicle would respect the received destination. which started in 2004 with the DARPA Grand Challenge
The SAE J3016 standard [24] was updated in April 2021 and has been continued by Google, with its Waymo vehi-
to clarify the terms used in driving automation, and the cles. Waymo, as other companies, is currently deploying
term “autonomous” was then deprecated and is not recom- automated level 4 technology, per SAE Levels of Automa-
mended for describe driving automation. tion. SAE and ISO [24] have determined six levels of driv-
Regarding Connected Vehicles (CVs), the United States ing automation in the J3016 standard, which is based on the
Department of Transportation (USDOT) states that CV tech- functionality of the driving automation system feature. In
nology enables distinct types of vehicles to communicate summary, level 0 vehicles do not engage in any assistance
with each other using wireless communication. The same related to the driving act itself and may help the driver to
13
Fig. 2 Advanced transportation technologies. (adapted from [27])
Table 2 Levels of driving automation. (adapted from [24])

0 1 2 3 4 5
Driving when these features are engaged, even if feet are off the pedals Not driving when these features are engaged, even if driver is seated
and the driver is not steering in “driver’s seat”
Driver must supervise the features when needed to maintain safety If feature request, driver The features do not require driving
must drive
EXAMPLE FEATURES
- automatic emergency - lane centering - lane centering - traffic jam chauffeur - local driverless taxi - same as
breaking OR AND - pedals/steering when level 4, but
- blind spot warning - adaptive cruise - adaptive cruise con- may not be installed can drive
- lane departure control trol at the same time every-
warning where, in all
conditions
avoid or mitigate potential collisions using various active achieved when there is communication between vehicles
safety systems, including warnings and emergency brak- and infrastructure [28]. Therefore, it is expected that AVs
ing. On the other hand, level 5 vehicles are fully automated and CVs will operate together, and AVs will be able to com-
and do not require any intervention from the “driver”, even municate with other vehicles and infrastructure [22].
being fully operational without a driver. A visual chart of
driving automation levels can be found in Table 2, and more 2.3 Connected Vehicles Systems
details about each level can be found in the J3016 standard.
As stated before and as seen in Fig. 2, an automated While AVs have been studied for more than 30 years, studies
vehicle does not need to communicate with infrastructure or involving CV systems are relatively more recent, becoming
other vehicles, and AV manufacturers even claim that there more popular and accepted in the last two decades with the
is no need for infrastructure adaption [22] as it uses the vehi- advance of the Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration initiative
cle’s hardware to sense the environment around it and to from the USDOT and the growing emphasis on “Coopera-
take decisions. However, some of the benefits provided by tive Intelligent Transportation Systems (CITS)” in Europe
CAVs, such as reduction of accidents and traffic, enhance- [5].
ment of fuel efficiency, and time travel improvement, are
13
These systems allow digital communication between introduced, followed by details of some aspects of asset
the vehicle and the world (infrastructure, another vehicle, management and what to expect in the future.
pedestrian, etc.). Some vehicles may only receive commu-
nication, others only send data, and others can receive and 3.1 Definitions
send digital data (not including sensor-based systems, such
as LiDAR and radar, or analog systems like analog radio – An asset is any item, entity, or thing that has potential or
AM/FM) [27]. Depending on the application requirements, actual value for an organization, while asset management is
several communication technologies can be used, such as a systematic process of maintaining, upgrading, and operat-
dedicated short-range communications, cellular, and satel- ing assets, combining engineering, business, and economic
lite, connecting vehicles to each other, but also to traffic sig- principles. It can bring many benefits, such as higher finan-
nals, work zones, toll booths, school zones, and other types cial performance, risk management, improvement of ser-
of infrastructure [26]. vices, organizational sustainability, efficiency, and efficacy.
There are different types of vehicle communication, To effectively manage the assets in an organization, a system
including: V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle); V2I (vehicle-to- is required to do so. An asset management system is a set of
infrastructure); I2V (infrastructure-to-vehicle); V2P (vehi- interrelated elements that must establish the asset manage-
cle-to-pedestrian); V2M (vehicle-to-motorcycle); V2D ment policy and objectives of that organization, while also
(vehicle-to-device); V2G (vehicle-to-grid); V2N (vehicle- accounting for the processes to achieve those objectives.
to-network); and V2X (vehicle-to-everything). This system comprises all processes, data, tools, and poli-
These types of communication are important elements of cies to manage assets effectively [30].
ITS and describe the relationship between different types of An asset management system can be a tool used to coor-
transport users and infrastructure [27]. Given that this work dinate the interaction between assets and other functions of
focuses on road asset management, it is important to men- an organization. It requires accurate asset information and is
tion the equipment required to allow this communication to more complex than a regular management information sys-
happen. tem [30]. The international standard ISO 55,001 provides
Most applications require communication with low more details about the fundamentals of asset management,
latency and high reliability so that specific wireless con- which are grouped in the context of organization, leader-
nections can be used, depending on the connection require- ship, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation,
ment [5]. Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) and improvement [31]. The relationship between these top-
have been used mainly for this, since they were designed ics is shown in detail in Fig. 3. It is worth noting that they
especially for automotive use and have the advantage of focus on aspects other than data or performance; organi-
transmitting safe and fast messages. There are other types zational government is as important as information when
of wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular implementing a robust asset management system, given it
(such as the commonly named 5G), and even satellites, each requires a mix of skills within an organization [32].
with its advantages and disadvantages. The organization should define internal and external
It is likely that transport agencies will be responsible questions that are relevant to its objectives and should be
for the installation and maintenance of devices that com- consistent with the organizational objectives. Top manage-
municate through DSRC, especially RSUs. According to ment should align the organizational objectives with the
Perry et al. [29], “the purpose of the RSU is to facilitate asset management policy and objectives, involving all lead-
communication between transportation infrastructure and ers in all steps of the asset management system implemen-
vehicles and other mobile devices by exchanging data over tation. The principles that guide asset management should
DSRC in compliance with industry standards”. Therefore, be documented in the Strategic Asset Management Plan
for example, the communication allowed by DSRC RSUs (SAMP), which should be used to conduct the asset man-
can be applied to traffic management, weather information, agement objectives, describe the asset management sys-
fleet management, and parking systems. tem’s role in meeting these objectives, and assist the system
in developing its asset management plans. Collaboration
with diverse parts of the organization is necessary to estab-
3 Road Asset Management lish, implement, maintain, and improve the asset manage-
ment system. The organization should also ensure that risks
In this section we provide an inclusive discussion on road associated with any planned change that might impact the
asset management, which is necessary to understand how asset management objectives should be effectively managed
it will be impacted by CAVs later. First, some concepts are [30, 31].
13
Fig. 3 Relationship between

key elements of an asset
management system. (adapted
from [30]). Note: The grey
highlighted box designates the
boundary of the asset manage-
ment system
Regarding outsourcing, the organization must guarantee 3.2 Introduction to Road Asset Management
that these outsourced activities are not removed from the
asset management system, although this increases the com- Transport networks are a valuable infrastructure with high
plexity of the control. Asset management activities should costs for both construction and maintenance. Typically, gov-
be monitored and evaluated continuously to ensure continu- ernments fund and maintain them due to their importance in
ous improvement in asset management. This process can be daily life and their significant impact on the public. Opti-
used to check any eventual problem, to see if the system is mized asset management is essential to reduce maintenance
efficient in asset management, and to use the results in top costs and save money. However, there are other motivations
management decision-making. Improvement opportunities for using an asset management system in transportation,
can be identified with the performance monitoring of the such as legislative requirements, coordination between dif-
asset management system and the asset itself. The usage of ferent jurisdictions, and overlap with other infrastructures.
the asset management system should also be considered in Additionally, there are concerns about using multiple per-
emergencies and after such incidents, the events should be formance indicators, legal problems, and deciding the prior-
analyzed to prevent recurrence and improve the system. The ity of infrastructure investment on the global budget [21,
standards ISO 55,000, 55,001, and 55,002 are well built to 33].
demonstrate how an organization can develop and imple- In road asset management, assets can be classified into
ment an asset management system, so transport organiza- [34]:
tions can benefit from that [30, 31].
13
● Traffic service assets: all assets relevant to traffic sys- the program update process. It is important to have well-
tems, such as signals, marking, lighting, and safety maintained databases, appropriate tools to manage transpor-
devices; tation assets, and to continuously use and improve existing
● Road assets: all facilities and relevant information that systems to ensure optimal asset management. It is also
belong to road systems, including earthworks, pave- important to design and perform the required assessments
ments, shoulders, and roadside areas; and implementation of measures, based on predictions sup-
● Property and data assets: road management facilities, ported by good data and models.
road information storage and management systems;
● Other assets: other general road systems and information 3.3 Development and Management Framework
that cannot be grouped into any of the above categories.
The OECD [36] suggests an asset management develop-
Regarding the life cycle of transportation infrastructure, ment framework based on the Total Quality Management
there are various phases involving its development, as (TQM) concept of PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) for con-
described in Fig. 4: assessment; planning; design; construc- tinuous improvement. The PDCA was slightly changed to
tion; operations; monitoring; preservation; and end of life. accommodate specific attributes of asset management but
At first, due to government plans or popular demand, the is still related to the original PDCA: Planning; Implement-
need for a transport infrastructure is identified. Then, experts ing (acquisition, operation, maintenance, rejuvenation, and
evaluate the environmental, socio-economic, and technical rationalization); Reviewing; and Improving. The framework
feasibility of the construction. If approved, then the infra- is divided into ten levels, indicating an organization’s cur-
structure is set to be designed and constructed, following the rent asset management practice. Level 10, meaning that an
best practices. Afterwards, operation begins, which is the organization excels at asset management, is demonstrated
longest phase when the infrastructure is being used, while in Fig. 5.
at the same time it is monitored and maintained. Lastly, the Kellick [37] indicates similar factors that ensure a suc-
infrastructure is deactivated, following its planned life cycle cessful asset in an organization, while for infrastructure
or if an unplanned event occurs (such as a natural disaster) Younis and Knight [38] propose a similar management
[21]. framework based mainly on the Balanced Scorecard (BSC).
The New York State Department of Transportation (NYS- Overall, some aspects define the best practices on asset
DOT) established four major fronts for successful asset management: proactive instead of reactive; progressively
management: redefine organizational roles and responsibili- include all asset types; focus the role of assets as part of a
ties; develop a formal and disciplined core business process whole system; decisions are guided using cost-benefit-risk
for program development; continue the development of analysis; and merge asset management with global corpo-
critical transportation management systems; and design and rate management.
implement a modern program and business system spear-
headed by a state-of-the-art automated system [35]. The 3.4 Common Transport Assets
first step for successful asset management is reorganizing
internal structure, defining each role well, and introducing To effectively manage a road asset system, as seen in previ-
ous sections, one of the aspects that stands out is the road
authority’s capacity to manage and integrate different data
[39]. Osichenko and Spielhofer [3] propose the necessary
information for a road asset management system: envi-
ronmental data; socio-economic aspects; condition data;
main road data; traffic data; weather data; accident data;
and inventory data. As that is not an exhaustive list, it must
be also noted that other aspects must be included in such
system, like roadside units and road signage, for instance.
Table 3 presents a diverse pool of information needed for
appropriate decision-making regarding Transport Asset
Management (TAM).
The NCHRP [40] discusses the importance of managing
diverse types of road infrastructure, such as pavement mark-
ings, traffic signals, and lighting, instead of just pavements
Fig. 4 Phases of transport infrastructure development. (adapted from and bridges. They also emphasize the need to demonstrate
[21])
13
Fig. 5 Asset management devel-

opment framework. (adapted
from [36])
Table 3 Information needed for transport asset management. (adapted from [32, 39])
Type of information Description
Asset inventory and design Location, type, quantity, material, design details, pavement layers, bridge elements, and asset valuation
information.
Asset condition and Visual inspections, condition (roughness or cracking, e.g.), performance (e.g., remaining service life), and
performance network level measures (percentage of pavement in good condition, e.g.).
Contextual System or network characteristics, functional classification, highway geometric characteristics, traffic volumes,
congestion and reliability, crash history, adjacent land uses, weather, and features of the natural environment.
Work Date, cost, and scopes of work proposed, scheduled, and completed on assets (installation, replacement/recon-
struction, rehabilitation, preservation, and maintenance).
Revenue and funding Historical and forecasted funds available for asset installation, replacement/reconstruction, rehabilitation,
allocation preservation, and maintenance.
Analysis Forecasted condition and needs under varying funding or program scenarios, life treatment or life extension
results, or project prioritization ratings or rankings.
to the public the benefits of these assets properly managed. Learning (ML) and Computer Vision (CV) [43]. However,
The current practice used to manage these known assets can the collected data is not being used yet to unlock the full
also be used on other types of assets, such as RSUs. How- potential of Decision Support Systems (DSS). Future sys-
ever, caution should be taken when managing other assets tems could benefit from smart data collection, resulting in
that do not receive much attention, especially regarding the a lower cost and resource usage, while maintaining/improv-
performance of the asset. Many assets do not have proper ing efficiency [42].
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and existing perfor- Asset management systems are used to document and
mance models must be improved with more data and study. track assets, with details of the infrastructure attributes.
Agencies are required to have an asset inventory, and data
3.5 Collection Methods and Data Management collection, storage and maintenance is expensive [32, 44]. It
is important to pay attention to data that comes directly from
Effective asset management requires knowledge of all outside the organization, and to delegate departments to be
assets, but data collection can be expensive. Transport agen- responsible for data inherent to them [36]. Asset manage-
cies rely on manual data collection and empirical methods to ment systems are used to assist integration, using different
evaluate infrastructure conditions [39, 41, 42]. To improve data mining techniques to analyze possible data trends [45].
these processes, innovative technology has been developed These systems should provide decision-support tools, such
to automatize or improve the collection of typical data nec- as life-cycle analysis, demand prediction, identification of
essary for a RAM, such as smartphones, unmanned aerial optimal interventions, and benefit/cost analysis. There are
vehicle (UAV), LiDAR, and embedded sensors (inside, on different sorts of data analyses, some of which use a more
the surface or built with smart composites) [32, 42]. Arti- general approach or some focus more on technical or finan-
ficial Intelligence (AI) techniques can be used to improve cial aspects and will not be used in the same way at different
asset management and monitoring, such as Machine levels of an organization.
13
There are several steps involved in collecting, process- ● Long-term program *;

ing, storing, managing, and analyzing data, which can be ● Allocation of resources *;
summarized as follows: ● Quality management *.
● Preliminary analysis that supports data collection; For optimization, which is one of the most researched areas
● Identification of best practices for collecting data; of asset management [21], transport agencies use histori-
● Select the best team or contractor to collect data; cal data to develop performance models that can predict the
● Check if collected data integrate with existing agency future condition of a given asset and provide the best main-
data; tenance activity. Techniques such as regression, mathemati-
● Proper software and hardware to store and process data; cal optimization, neural networks, and diverse ML and CV
● Ensure that data is valid, consistent, and is of techniques are used to solve issues related to transport asset
high-quality; management. The decision-making process in transportation
● Visualize and use that data to do proper analysis. infrastructure is complex due to the several factors involved
and limited resources, so a comprehensive decision-making
framework should be adopted in an integrated system that
3.6 Asset Performance, Optimization, and Decision- includes all relevant factors [46, 47]. This framework should
Making include processes such as condition assessment, analysis of
deterioration and treatment efficiency, and forecasting and
Regardless of the approach selected by the organization to optimization models [39].
manage assets, an asset management system must allow the
organization to deliver expected value for customers, and 3.7 Current Implementation and Future Aspects
that measurable metrics must be used to measure progress
on established goals. The first step is to define what the The previous sections summarize the steps for successful
transport agency wants to achieve, which is the link between asset management in the road sector. Some specific guide-
the agency’s goals and the needed investment/interventions. lines and tools support full implementation by transport
Performance targets are a common way to manage service agencies, mainly based on ISO 55,000 (and variants), such
levels, but the expected level of performance depends on the as the ones from AASHTO [32], OECD [36], Austroads
managed asset type. The defined indicators must be applied [48], and UNECE [39]. There are also some works stat-
to a performance measurement framework that allows con- ing the current state of transport agencies ([36, 40], for
tinuous improvement [32, 39]. example), which in general show that while there are dif-
The performance measurement framework should ferent levels of implementation by agencies, most of them
involve performance measures that can be used to guide the follow some of those mentioned guidelines (especially the
decision-making process and determine a minimum thresh- AASHTO guide). Moreover, there is a consensus on the
old for maintenance. It also permits the definition of bud- components that should be included in an asset manage-
get plans and helps the accountability of the program and ment system: asset inventory; maintenance methods; pre-
services delivered. OECD countries use some indicators to diction models; life-cycle cost analysis; decision-aid tools;
monitor the performance of road agencies [36], displayed and asset management strategy [36]. However, once again,
below. Of the 14 indicators displayed, the last 5 are qualita- the details of each implementation vary considerably from
tive (marked with asterisks) and 9 are quantitative. Then, agency to agency.
the quantitative indicators can be used for optimization. While there is the inherent challenge of managing
assets, especially if a proper integration between the vari-
● Road user costs; ous areas within an organization (and their different data)
● Level of satisfaction; is desired, new aspects must also be considered. Osichenko
● User risk; and Spielhofer [3] cite five main challenges for road asset
● Cost prediction; management:
● Overhead costs;
● Value of assets; ● Fast-growing road network and motorization rate;
● Roughness; ● Connected and automated vehicles;
● State of bridges; ● Environmental and socio-economic aspects;
● Satisfaction; ● New measurement systems;
● Environmental policy *; ● Climate change.
● Market research and customer feedback *;
13
There is also a focus on new practices, such as Digital Engi- 4 Automated Vehicles and Asset
neering (DE), which is the convergence of emerging tech- Management
nologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM),
Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and other related In the last century cars were directly responsible for the
systems towards better asset management [49, 50]. Other format of modern cities, while also impacting our everyday
processes include 3D and 4D modeling, digital twin mod- lives. Cars are responsible for lower city density, increasing
eling, and big data [51, 52]. While these technologies can traffic congestion and parking problems, and land waste for
help asset management, there are plans to use digital twins storing vehicles that are unused most of the time [56]. It is
to combine the management with traffic operations [53] or expected that the heavy usage of car sharing, CAVs, and
to improve road inspection [54]. The digitalization of roads architecture of the future will redesign cities towards a more
and the development of smart cities can also be related to human space.
the use of embedded sensors, the internet of things, and vir- Milakis et al. [57] propose a conceptualization of implica-
tual reality [55]. tions of CAVs in policies and societies, inspired by a ripple
Finally, the advent of connected and automated vehicles effect model developed previously by the same authors [58].
will impact road asset management. These vehicles produce With this concept, the authors aim to model the sequential
a large volume of data and require a seamless connection effects that the usage of CAVs might have on several aspects
with other vehicles and the infrastructure itself. Although of our lives, directly affecting things such as travel costs and
cellular networks such as 5G and 6G (still under develop- choices, and the more indirect impact on society of such
ment) will help the connection and data transfer between things as health and social equity, as can be seen in Fig. 6.
vehicles and everything, there are still lots of challenges and We propose four areas that involve the link between
infrastructure requirements that must be resolved to enable road asset management and vehicle automation: physical
the full potential of those vehicles. infrastructure; communication and navigation; policy and
Fig. 6 The ripple effect of auto-

mated driving. (adapted from
[58])
13
legislation; and innovation. Each area will be discussed usage of dedicated lanes for CAVs. For the operation of
in detail to explore how CAVs may interact with transport these lanes, the entry/exit design and the separation and sig-
asset management, but it is important to point out here that nage of the dedicated lanes must be considered, accounting
there is some overlap between these areas, as seen in Fig. 7. for traffic safety and efficiency [61].
Later, we examine how prepared transport agencies are, and Moreover, new infrastructure is required for a proper
the challenges and opportunities in this field. operation of CAVs. Per SAE definition, vehicles with dif-
ferent levels of automation require different infrastructure.
4.1 Physical Infrastructure For instance, a level 5 vehicle requires speed limit beacons
to regulate traffic flow and speed, magnetic nails or reflec-
In this section, we consider all aspects related to the physi- tive striping for lane keeping, RSUs to guide merging and
cal characteristics of the road, including but not limited to lane changing, and investment in infrastructure to enable
the road design, paving (e.g.: road quality, markings, drain- platooning of vehicles [62].
age), and signaling. At first, the way that CAVs interact with Other infrastructure modifications are likely to occur,
road infrastructure is supposed to be like human drivers. such as special ramps at highway-to-street interchanges.
CAV companies are developing their vehicles to be used Nevertheless, the infrastructure modifications depend on
on regular roads, without requiring any dedicated carriage- CAVs rate of adoption. The lack of infrastructure may pre-
ways. However, this may impact the technological progress, vent a driver from purchasing a vehicle which is not fully
also affecting the penetration of CAVs in the market [59]. At automated, while the low adoption rate may also not justify
the same time, road constructors may want to build future- investment from transport agencies in adapting infrastruc-
proof roads (that could be called “CAV-ready roads”). ture. It is suggested that infrastructure is modified incre-
If positive, CAVs will heavily impact road design and mentally, looking for user demand (in modern cities, for
road infrastructure. In the design process, several factors example) or deploying pilots projects in small areas [63].
must be addressed, while the drivers react to the combina- Therefore, it is expected that the infrastructure changes
tion of them: design speed; traffic characteristics; number will be deployed in stages, being dependent on the market
of lanes; Level of Service (LOS); sight distance; alignment, penetration of CAVs. Signage, new lanes, and road design
superelevation, and grades; cross section; lane width; and will be updated, impacting asset management, which must
horizontal and vertical clearance [60]. All these charac- then account for these new items. For that, studies must be
teristics may change and/or be optimized with the usage done to investigate the deterioration of CAVs assets and
of CAVs; for example, given that CAVs react faster than how performance models can predict their deterioration.
humans, the breaking time reaction is lower for CAVs, Regardless of deployment of new road design standards,
meaning that stopping sight distance will be reduced, affect- current road maintenance can also be affected by CAVs.
ing the geometric design of the road. For instance, road surface quality and road marking qual-
Another aspect which has been studied is the deployment ity are crucial factors for CAVs to function properly, since
of these new vehicles. A solution constantly mentioned, road markings act as rails for them (detected by cameras
for the mixed-use of regular and automated vehicles, is the and sensors), while road quality can negatively impact their
Fig. 7 Connection between CAVs

and road asset management
13
detection (potholes or bituminous lines can confuse the vehi- for effective navigation through crowded spaces. Similarly,
cle). Also, while for a human driver it is relatively simple to residential streets often have more obstacles like parked
understand road markings, for CAVs they need to be very cars or children playing nearby, requiring CAVs to navigate
distinguishable (good quality paint with reflective proper- more carefully using their sensors’ capabilities efficiently.
ties and they must be clear and continuous) and kept simple. Additionally, CAVs also have difficulties in tracking and
Current vehicles already possess some degree of technol- avoiding pedestrian crossing a street where there are no
ogy that uses this information to keep them in lane. How- crosswalks.
ever, complex markings might be a problem for vehicles, Therefore, with all this in mind, integrating CAVs into
resulting in lane departure or collision, for example. Some current road infrastructure may require some changes in
metrics for lane marking quality assessment include correct- road design, paving, signaling, and other aspects related
ness, shape, and visibility, while for road quality there are to the physical characteristics of roads. CAVs interact
already diverse indices such as IRI or PCI, among others. with road infrastructure in a similar way to human drivers
Visibility is a critical aspect for CAVs, not only for lane at present. However, dedicated lanes for CAVs have been
markings, but also for other obstacles, signaling, traffic proposed as a solution for mixed-use traffic. Maintenance
detection (other vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians), and clear of current road infrastructure can also be affected by CAVs
visibility (weather-wise). This involves detecting infrastruc- due to requirements for high-quality painting with reflective
tures and traffic using high-precision maps and sensors such properties and clear markings that are easily distinguishable
as LiDAR, video cameras, radar sensors, and ultrasonic sen- by sensors, for example.
sors mounted on wheels [64]. These sensors work together The complexity of the environment where CAVs operate
to help detect speed and distance of nearby objects for safe presents challenges such as navigation issues when interact-
operation. The ability of automated vehicles to interpret ing with other users like pedestrians or cyclists who have
signs, such as traffic lights, stop signs, speed limits, and lane priority in certain areas. Some of these challenges can be
markings accurately can prevent accidents and reduce road overcome with updated road design, advances in sensors
congestion. However, challenges still exist regarding sign technology, and improved communication.
detection accuracy in varying weather conditions or poor
lighting situations. For example, LiDAR performance can 4.2 Communication and Navigation
be significantly reduced in bad weather, which can impact
CAV functioning and safety. Additionally, signaling mainte- In this section we consider the characteristics linked to the
nance should receive high priority, given that while human digital infrastructure needed to ensure the proper function-
drivers can understand scenarios where some signs are only ing of CAVs, which are related to vehicle and infrastructure
partially visible or missing, CAVs might not infer the same communication, and to navigation (GPS and maps). Some
information, leading to poor or dangerous driving. of these features could be included in the first section (phys-
It is not only bad signaling that can disrupt CAV driving, ical infrastructure), but we have decided to group them here
but the type of road can also affect it. The road environ- for a more focused look at them.
ment complexity and road access are critical factors that can As stated before, the function of a RSU is to make com-
impact the performance of CAVs on the road [65]. Envi- munication possible between vehicles and infrastructure.
ronmental complexity is related mainly to the road hierar- Due to its nature, the RSU is an important component with
chy (ranging from motorways to residential roads), since the transport of the future, since it can be applied in many
the level of difficulty of driving is expected to be lower on applications, such as accident, traffic, or weather warnings,
motorways than on local roads, while urban areas pose the automatic toll collection, and parking. However, as the suc-
greatest challenge. Navigation and interaction with other cess of CAV implementation is dependent on RSUs, deploy-
road users are considered the hardest issues to solve; nar- ment is challenging.
row roads with no separation of user groups, community For example, when deploying a pilot, some measures
activity-supportive streets, vulnerable road user areas, high- should be taken, especially considering the installation of
public transport curbside activities, and rail and bus transit RSUs. There might be some restrictions in local law or
systems present significant difficulties [59]. space limitations for installing roadside equipment, so it
As can be seen, the road access parameter, which is is advised that work be carried in collaboration with local
related on the types of road users (e.g.: pedestrians, cyclists, government to determine the feasibility in deploying tests
drivers), overlaps with the environmental complexity of the [66]. Also, the availability of a robust network connection
road. Roads where pedestrians and cyclists have high pri- in order to properly connect RSUs and other equipment to
ority, such as living streets, can present unique challenges the back-office facilities must be considered. For new road
where conventional sensor systems may not be sufficient
13
projects, provisions for conduit and fiber-optic installation their sensors and cameras (around 4 TB of data per day), so
should also be considered. data transfer rate is also important. 5G can supply that data
RSUs can be installed in poles located alongside roads, transfer rate, making other types of data exchange possible,
whether they are especially built or already existing, such such as download/updating of High-Definition (HD) maps,
as a traffic light arm or other signaling poles. They can be software updates, video streams for remote assistance, or
also installed inside a cabinet located on the side of a road. even media streaming for passengers while on board.
There are also elements of ITS embedded in pavements, Communication capabilities can also improve location
such as induction loops, used to identify vehicle presence, accuracy, which is crucial for a safe and efficient operation
especially when related to traffic signals or parking spaces. of a CAV. Since these vehicles rely on precise location data
Transport agencies, even of different sizes, appear to to navigate roads, avoid obstacles, and make decisions in
have similar infrastructural needs. According to a survey real-time, even slight errors in location can lead to serious
carried out by Barbaresso and Johnson [67], the main focus consequences such as collisions or wrong navigation. Pre-
of CV program has been on V2V safety, but respondents cise location does not only affect navigation, but it is also
are not sure about the role of infrastructure [22]. There are related to vehicle performance since if it is not sure about
also concerns regarding the frequency of maintenance, the its position, it can activate fallback safety measures (for
robustness and capabilities of remote diagnostics and reset- example, stopping the vehicle entirely). This means that a
ting (when there is a failure), although by definition, both vehicle cannot merely trust traditional positioning systems,
the hardware and software components of an RSU should be such as GPS, due to its relatively low precision or suscep-
able to operate unattended in harsh outdoor environments tibility to external interference (e.g., weather, buildings). It
for extended periods of time [29]. must therefore be complemented by other technologies that
In the same survey, the issue of maintaining V2I infra- can work together [59].
structure was addressed, mentioning the concerns not only Embedded technologies such as LiDAR or cameras
about deployment and operational costs, but also long-term can assist vehicles with positional awareness on the road,
maintenance costs, especially given the lack of historical while RSU triangulation techniques can improve geoloca-
data and experience (from some agencies) on working with tion accuracy in dense urban environments [69]. External
this type of infrastructure [22, 67]. Agencies that have expe- information, coming from HD Maps, can also help that.
rience in deploying pilot programs mentioned the infrastruc- The addition of the term “high-definition” refers to a highly
tural elements used in their tests, including 5.9 GHz DSRC detailed map with several features including lane geometry
RSUs, upgraded signal controller cabinets, backhaul com- and markings, traffic signs, and road furniture, to within
munications and data management, and infrastructure-based a few centimeters’ accuracy, usually not found on regular
messaging. Moreover, maintenance considerations for the maps. By integrating HD maps with sensor data from cam-
deployment were separated into four areas: equipment eras, LiDAR and radar, a CAV can better determine its posi-
operation and failure mitigation; state of health monitoring; tion relative to these features.
security management; and data and network management The importance of HD maps lies in their ability to pro-
[68]. vide an additional layer of redundancy to the onboard
Additionally, some lessons were learned from those pilot sensors used by AVs for navigation. In situations where
programs. It was observed that CAV infrastructure is going environmental conditions are challenging or when objects
to be heavily associated with intersections and that RSUs like pedestrians or cyclists may not be easily detectable by
receive special attention from agencies, regarding health onboard sensors alone due to occlusion or other factors, HD
monitoring and warranty period/repair/replacement. Also, it map data can help fill in the gaps in perception by providing
was identified that CAV infrastructure involves diverse ele- context about what is happening beyond the range of imme-
ments and components to be installed or constructed with diate sensor coverage. Moreover, HD maps also enable
the infrastructure [68]. Sobanjo [22] adds that, given the more efficient route planning as they allow CAVs to antici-
diverse elements in CAV infrastructure, “deterioration mod- pate upcoming changes in road conditions such as curves
els will need to consider failure times and use reliability- or intersections before approaching them. This can result in
based concepts”. smoother driving behavior and reduced energy consumption
Even with RSUs helping with communication, a cellular which translates into longer operational range for electric
network is also needed for other types of communication, CAVs, for example.
transmitting route information and data. Since CAVs need Maps providers, such as TomTom or HERE, can not only
low latency communication for real-time decision-making, provide maps with high precision (regarding spatial posi-
5G (the latest generation of mobile connectivity until now) is tioning and completeness), but must likewise be concerned
required. Also, CAVs generate a huge amount of data due to regarding time. Maps are always outdated, so the frequency
13
of updates are also of the utmost importance. Since any map some pilots and improve institutional capacity. Policy mak-
provider cannot guarantee that a map is 100% updated to ers need new skills, while there is a greater need than ever
match reality, CAVs must be prepared to deal with chal- for coordination between different government bodies, such
lenging conditions such as roadworks, which could alter the as transportation, justice, economy, and energy [59], as
number of lanes available for driving in a given segment highlighted in Sect. 3.
or modify the road markings readable by cameras. As said Lastly, privacy concerns related to data collection prac-
before, cellular data can be used to update maps, but can tices associated with CAVs need attention from policy-
also give roadwork updates or on-the-fly traffic manage- makers as they collect significant amounts of personal
ment via map providers or government information. V2I information. While automakers must ensure that their vehi-
infrastructure (DSRC beacons for instance) can transmit cles are equipped with advanced security features, capable
updated roadwork layouts to a CAV to facilitate navigation of protecting against evolving threats posed by cybercrimi-
within the works [65]. nals, legislation should also consider this. For example, a
As can be seen, asset managers must deal with diverse United Nations regulation from 2020 is already enforcing
infrastructure to ensure a proper flow of CAVs. This ranges some measures against cyberattacks on CAVs [72].
from deploying RSUs, antennas, and DSRC beacons opti-
mally, developing “invisible infrastructure” (like mapping 4.4 Innovation
or data management), or traditional infrastructure like fiber
network to connect RSUs to back-office. This is challenging, An updated policy shows that a given agency/government
given it includes different areas within government bodies, body is attempting to be ready for the mobility of the future.
and raises issues with financing. Other issues like cyber- That not only displays a tendency to tackle challenging
security, privacy, and data governance also need attention. problems but signals to the market that the state/country is
Some of these will be addressed in the following section. willing to test and adopt CAVs. However, this is not the only
main factor, given that consumer acceptance is also a key
4.3 Policy and Legislation factor in embracing new technology.
There are several factors that can be used to assess how
The integration of CAVs in the current transportation system well a place is prepared to accept CAVs, regardless of road
creates several challenges for policymakers and managers, infrastructure. KPMG [71] cites as relevant factors: industry
who are well aware of this. In a survey regarding how an partnerships and investments; patents; cybersecurity; cloud
agency should choose to invest time or resources for techni- computing; artificial intelligence and Internet of Things; test
cal preparation for CAVs, the largest group of answers were areas; civil society technology use; consumer ICT adoption
related to legal, legislation, regulatory issues, and standards and digital skills; individual readiness; and online ride-hail-
[70]. As this is a new area, agencies and government bodies ing market penetration, among others. While at first glance
need to be fast in regulating the deployment of CAVs and to one might imagine that a country that excels in some of
provide a safe environment for companies to properly test these factors should excel in others, some of these factors
and deploy the new vehicles. can work counter-intuitively to the contrary. For example,
Current laws assume a human is driving a machine, while India and Brazil have a relatively low public index of digital
the driver has the sole responsibility of the driving task. skills, yet at the same time, the penetration of the online
Within the CAV environment, the driving responsibility is ride-hailing market in these countries is remarkably high.
passed to the machine, but sometimes where the vehicle is Consumer acceptance will also depend on other factors
not capable of operating safely, this responsibility is passed such as safety, reliability, and affordability. Manufacturers
to the human. A future-proof legislation should address that must ensure that their products are safe and reliable while
but should also be aware that CAVs and regular vehicles being affordable for most consumers. Innovation is also an
will co-exist for some period, so adaption and iteration is essential factor for the success of this technology since it
important, which is a challenge for legal departments [59]. enables carmakers to develop new features like self-driving
Government bodies who are aware of those changes and capabilities or advanced sensors that improve user experi-
are efficient about discussing and imposing new regulations ence and safety on the roads. As such, policymakers must
are the candidates to be pioneers in deploying CAVs on a provide a favorable environment for innovation by invest-
large-scale. Some countries such as Singapore, the United ing in research and development initiatives aimed at enhanc-
Kingdom, and Netherlands are ahead of the game and have ing CAV technologies. Moreover, collaboration between
drafted new standards, expanding their test areas and even various stakeholders such as governments, carmakers,
setting up some driverless buses [71]. It is also important tech companies, and infrastructure providers is necessary
not only to update regulations, but also to publicly fund
13
to drive innovation forward while ensuring that consumer 4.6 Challenges and Opportunities
needs remain central throughout the process.
It is not only CAVs that will be challenging for transport
4.5 Readiness of Agencies and Governments managers, but there are other things too, such as road asset
management related to infrastructure, the environment, and
There are many uncertainties as to how CAVs will operate technology [21]. The impacts of climate change on infra-
in the future and how they will integrate with existing vehi- structure, namely more floods, longer droughts, freeze-thaw
cles, infrastructure, and space. It is expected that CAVs will cycles more frequent, intense typhoons and hurricanes, and
significantly impact traffic, given that empty trips will occur changes in wind (speed and profiles), compared to the cur-
(trips without a person inside the vehicle) and that demand rent situation [77], could be severe, resulting in low cycle
might increase too (for example, travel for people who are fatigue, accumulated damage, and faster surface deteriora-
ineligible to drive, such as the elderly). Traffic modelling tion [21]. These impacts will demand new design codes,
tools, such as PTV Vissim and Visum, do not yet fully sup- affecting new and existing infrastructure, which in turn need
port simulation with CAVs [73], which may interfere with to be more resilient and stable.
transport planning decisions. There are many other CAV Managers of the future will also have to deal with the
issues and themes that concern agencies, such as safety, socio-economic and environmental impact of the vehicles.
rideshare, land-use, parking, public transit, ownership, reve- The motorization rate is increasing [3]; the advent of CAVs
nue, emissions, employment impacts, data-sharing, privacy, will likely impact the number of vehicles on street, while
and regulation, for example [74]. governments are enforcing the reduction of greenhouse
Local authorities should anticipate technological changes emissions. The transport sector is one of the largest contrib-
and understand their roles with CAV systems. Literature utors of greenhouse emissions, accounting for around 14%
states several challenges, such as understanding possible of global emissions in 2018 [78], so reducing these emis-
impacts, deployment, and integration with existing infra- sions is essential if we are to meet climate goals. Some strat-
structure, legislation, and transport policy, among others egies include better vehicle efficiency, the usage of clean
[19, 20]. CoExist [75] defines the concept of “automation- energy, and fuel taxes [3].
readiness” as the capability of making good decisions about At the same time, the sustainable development of cities
the deployment of CAVs in a mixed road environment, must be considered, and the deployment of CAVs (shared or
which requires a strong understanding of CAV technology, not) can impact inequality within a city. For example, it is
its different uses and impacts on traffic, quality of life, and unclear how CAVs will impact the urban sprawl, which has
transport planning. The organization should also have a direct effects on energy use, air and water quality, and the
strategic approach in developing measures that ensure the expansion of roads and other types of infrastructure [79].
proper deployment of CAVs, supporting mobility goals. Additionally, the implementation and the cost of CAVs may
A survey of many transport agencies in the USA showed also be important criteria for how users will accept and react
that a total of 41 already include AVs in their plans, while 12 to CAVs [80].
have developed policies to guide the deployment and devel- The availability of big data will also impact road asset
opment of AVs [74]. These 12 agencies intended to promote management. There will be a large amount of data produced
innovation and ensure that the usage of these new vehicles by CAVs and this influx into asset management will bring
addresses the problems of multimodal and public transpor- some challenges, especially for a management heavily based
tation, around congestion, equity, and other main issues. on data, as better seen in Sect. 3. The conflation of new and
It was detected that many agencies are still being reactive old data, handling a continually increasing database, and the
rather than proactive, and that although they are aware of lack of tools to analyze this data quickly are problems that
the advancing technology and the impacts it might have, must be solved. AI techniques can be used to help manage
the agencies are moving slowly towards creating policies to the data and propose solutions. However, privacy concerns
handle the deployment of CAVs. Another study of agencies and computational and human resources are also challenges
in the 25 largest USA cities indicates similar insights, add- we need to consider [21]. Concurrently, this data usage is
ing that most officials who were contacted felt unprepared to transforming road asset management, from a static environ-
even respond to the survey regarding CAVs, and while most ment to a dynamic one. Sensor data from smart pavements,
of them believe that AVs will be available for the public GPS, imagery, weather, traffic, and accident data obtained
before the end of this decade, the local authorities are not and produced by CAVs can positively impact planning and
yet clear about the share of responsibilities for implement- operations. These data can improve monitoring of roads
ing these changes [76]. and asset management. HD Maps can be produced, road
condition and assets can be evaluated in quasi real-time,
13
emergency services can be improved, and decision-making aspects and tools of asset management are still relevant,
will be better supported. changes in our world bring new challenges, and those
aspects should be considered in the asset management of
the future.
5 Summary and Conclusions
Acknowledgements The author Matheus Gomes Correia is grateful
to the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for
In this paper we present an overview of the impacts that the financial support through the doctoral grant PRT/BD/152842/2021,
CAVs will have on road asset management. To better under- under MIT Portugal Program. The authors are also grateful to the
stand this, an initial brief presentation of the vehicles of the Research Centre for Territory, Transports and Environment - CITTA
future (automated and connected) is offered. Additionally, (UIDP/04427/2020) for the financial support.
a comprehensive discussion on road asset management is
Funding Open access funding provided by FCT|FCCN (b-on).
presented. Finally, once all these concepts have been intro-
duced, we thoroughly discuss some aspects that CAVs may
Declarations
have on road asset management.
It was observed that not many journal articles give an in- Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of
depth analysis on road asset management or investigate the interest.
effects of CAVs. The main novelty of this work is to discuss
deeply these effects, while presenting an inclusive discus- Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing,
sion on (road) asset management, based on the standards
adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format,
ISO 55,000, 55,001, and 55,002. While these standards are as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the
complete and well-built, our intention was to provide a con- source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate
cise overview for researchers who want to be introduced to if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this
article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless
this topic. On the other hand, there is an abundant amount
indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not
of work on literature regarding CAVs, covering the intrinsic included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended
aspects of these vehicles. Therefore, a basic introduction to use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted
the details of the vehicles and how they operate is offered, use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright
holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.
to better understand the intersection between them and asset
org/licenses/by/4.0/.
management.
It should be noted that CAVs will possibly change trans-
port management. While some safety measures will theoret-
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