Caltrans Shows Off Future Of Transportation

Oct. 25 - KGO (KGO) -- What if a bus could drive itself? Or a street sign could tell you whether you can make that left turn without getting hit? Those technologies are being developed and tested by U.C. Berkeley and Caltrans.

This isn't just any bus. This versatile bus can be driven by a system of magnets and computers.

Han-Shue Tan, Ph.d., PATH researcher: "The computer decides what steering, braking, throttle is needed and sends it into a system and it does it for you."

The computerized system also allows for precision parking at loading docks -- keeping passengers moving on and off efficiently. It's just one of many projects underway at U.C. Berkeley's Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways, or PATH research facility in Richmond.

This year marks PATH's 20th anniversary. It was set up by Caltrans to make highways better until it realized highways alone might not be the way to go.

James Misener, PATH researcher: "In 1986, Caltrans came to the University of California, because they realized they couldn't build themselves out of congestion, given the anticipated travel demand or the number of people that were driving. So they asked, 'can we do something revolutionary to change transportation?'"

The definition of revolutionary has changed from better use of highways to better use of all modes of transportation.

You might have seen a freeway sign like this. It uses sensors and wireless technology to tell motorists if there's parking available at a BART station.

Susan Shaheen, Ph.d., PATH researcher: "Making it easier to plan a trip in advance or making a real time decision to get off the highway because they know there's a lot of congestion ahead and actually take transit."

Part of PATH's mandate is to make roads safer.

Steve Shladover, PATH researcher: "We're measuring the position and speed of all these vehicles as they approach the intersection so that we can predict whether they have a safe enough gap to make that turn."

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