Automated Highway Systems (AHS)

Automated Highway Systems (AHS) is perhaps the best known concept involving the use of ITS technologies to increase throughput and possibly safety by providing opportunities for vehicles (through roadway-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-vehicle communications) to travel at top mainline speed but at much reduced spacing.

From traffic flow theory, flow (throughput) is a function of spacing and speed; i.e., flow = speed/spacing.

AHS increases throughput via this mathematical relationship by providing the capability of maintaining top travel speed at minimized spacing. It is postulated that AHS can increase throughput by up to 300%.

AHS is now part of the intelligent vehicle initiative (IVI) program.

Flyer: The Automated Highway Sytem Cooperative Program. National Automated Highway System Consortium and United States Department of Transportation

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