Implementation of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Operational Capabilities: A Guide (2025)
Chapter: 4 Impact and Opportunity Evaluation
CHAPTER 4
Impact and Opportunity Evaluation
This chapter outlines the impact that state DOTs that were early and late adopters of UAS technologies experienced. Various statistics on the benefits and impact realized across different use cases are shared. As UAS and AAM technologies continue to mature, state DOTs and transportation organizations will need to continually evaluate the potential impacts of these technologies and thoroughly understand the associated opportunities. The chapter provides an overview of three emerging UAS technologies (advanced data analytics, BVLOS operations, and drone-in-a-box platforms) that state DOTs can consider and their potential applications.
Potential impacts of AAM technologies are summarized, and evaluation considerations and tools are provided.
UAS Impact
As established in the previous chapters, state DOTs have increasingly adopted UAS technology to improve their operations and infrastructure management. In the early days of UAS technology, many state DOTs were initially hesitant or conservative about adopting UAS for various transportation applications. Concerns related to safety, regulatory compliance, privacy issues, and the lack of a clear framework for how to best implement UAS into existing workflows often held state DOTs back. As a result, some state DOTs missed out on the immediate benefits and opportunities that UAS adoption could have offered.
However, while these state DOTs were cautious, other state DOTs chose to embrace UAS technology and pioneered its integration into their operations. These trailblazing state DOTs recognized the potential advantages of UAS in transportation planning, construction monitoring, maintenance, inspections, surveying, and emergency response. By leading the way, they accumulated valuable insights and experiences that demonstrated the positive impact of UAS on efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and safety in transportation projects.
Over time, the success stories and lessons learned from these early-adopting state DOTs became evident to the more hesitant transportation agencies. Witnessing the benefits achieved by others, late-adopting state DOTs began to reevaluate their stance and reconsider the possibilities that UAS could bring to their own operations. They saw the potential for enhanced data collection, improved infrastructure monitoring, accelerated project timelines, and better decision-making processes.
By observing the challenges and achievements of the early adopters, the hesitant state DOTs were able to learn from their experiences. They benefited from a wealth of knowledge and best practices, which allowed them to refine their UAS adoption strategies and address potential roadblocks proactively. This learning process fostered collaboration and information sharing
among state DOTs, further accelerating the overall adoption of UAS technology in transportation across the country.
Ultimately, the late adopter approach, while cautious, had the advantage of enabling informed decisions based on real-world experiences and data from peers who had adopted the technologies earlier, which helped the late adopters to develop robust UAS programs tailored to their unique needs and challenges. As UAS technology continues to evolve, these state DOTs now find themselves better equipped to leverage the benefits of UAS in their transportation endeavors, thanks to the valuable knowledge they gained from others who led the way.
Early adopter state DOTs faced a variety of challenges before reaping the benefits from their UAS programs. One significant hurdle was navigating the complex regulatory landscape surrounding UAS operations. Because UAS technology was relatively new, there were limited guidelines and regulations in place for the integration of UAS technologies, especially before the release of Part 107 regulations in 2016. However, even after 2016, there were few resources on UAS adoption on a systematic level within a transportation agency. Early adopter state DOTs had to work closely with the FAA to obtain the necessary waivers and exemptions to operate UAS in the NAS. This process was time-consuming and required careful adherence to safety protocols to ensure the successful integration of UAS without disrupting existing airspace activities.
Another major challenge was building the capacity for UAS operations within the state DOT. Integrating UAS into existing transportation workflows required the acquisition of suitable UAS platforms and software for data processing and the development of skilled personnel capable of effectively piloting and managing UAS missions. State DOTs had to invest in UAS training programs and certification processes so that their staff could meet the required standards for operations. Additionally, the incorporation process demanded a comprehensive data management and analysis infrastructure to handle the vast amount of data collected by UAS during surveys, inspections, and monitoring activities. Balancing these technical and human resource challenges while ensuring compliance with regulations was a formidable task for early adopter state DOTs seeking to harness the potential benefits of UAS technology in transportation operations.
A sampling of the positive impacts discovered by the leading state DOTs that explored the early adoption of UAS and are now realized by all state DOTs at various levels is outlined in the following sections.
Enhanced Inspection and Monitoring
UAS technology allows state DOTs to conduct regular inspections of transportation infrastructure, such as bridges, roads, and highways, with greater efficiency and accuracy. Although cost savings are different depending on the project or the structure being inspected, it is common to see better efficiency and, therefore, increased cost savings when using UAS. Michigan DOT reports savings when analyzing the use of UAS for bridge inspections. The results of the agency’s cost analysis are provided in Figure 8.
UAS can access hard-to-reach areas, serving as an additional tool to augment inspection methodology and mitigate potentially hazardous conditions for inspectors. Humans can continue to do these inspections, but using UAS to supplement inspections could increase safety. Another example includes earth-movement monitoring and infrastructure inspections on things such as retaining walls. UAS can allow crews to stay at safer distances from areas of interest.
Cost Savings
UAS integration offers significant cost savings for state DOTs. Traditional methods of inspection and data collection involve hiring specialized crews and equipment, leading to higher expenses. UAS can streamline these processes and reduce labor and equipment costs, especially once the
initial investment into a UAS program is achieved. Wyoming DOT prepared a cost savings analysis on the same surveying project to understand if UAS were truly saving the agency money. The traditional field survey cost was $10,000–$12,000, aerial photography using the department’s traditional aircraft was $15,000–$18,000, while using UAS cost $6,000–$8,000, demonstrating that UAS are a reliable cost-saving tool on surveying projects (Mallela et al. 2022b).
Utah DOT is also seeing cost savings on surveying projects, reporting an estimated $25,000 cost savings on one project alone and an average of 50 percent cost savings across land surveying projects (Mallela et al. 2022b). Other cost-saving examples across emergency response, inspections, and construction quantity measurements are provided in Figure 9.
Table 5 provides an overview and some examples of UAS, sensors, and potential use cases for the various platforms and the costs associated with them to provide more context for the cost savings associated with these use cases. This table is not comprehensive; rather, it provides examples of UAS that could be utilized across top-state DOT use cases.
Improvement of Data Quality
Sensors vary across UAS platforms, but UAS are often equipped with advanced sensors and high-resolution cameras that allow the capture of data from multiple perspectives, enhancing spatial and temporal resolution. Various sensors, such as light-imaging detection and ranging (LiDAR),
Table 5. Examples of UAS costs and potential use cases.
| UAS platform type | Sensor | Range of costs (based on platform package and sensors) | Potential use cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quadcopter | H20t or l1 LiDAR1 | $12,000–$23,000 |
|
| Quadcopter | Sony Alpha 7R IVA | $23,000–$28,000 |
|
| Hybrid VTOL | Sony RX1 | $20,000–$34,000 |
|
| Quadcopter | RGB2 camera or thermal (e.g., InfiRay or FLIR3 Boson 640 x 512) | $3,000–$4,200 |
|
| Quadcopter | Sony IMX577 | $2,000 |
|
| Quadcopter | VT300-Z, VT300-L | $15,000–$17,000 |
|
| Quadcopter | RGB camera | $2,000–$3,000 |
|
1 LiDAR: light detection and ranging
2 RGB: red, green, blue
3 FLIR: forward-looking infrared
multispectral, and thermal, can be used to see beyond the visible spectrum. These high-precision sensors result in improved quality capture that can then be processed to generate comprehensive and multidimensional data sets, thus improving the overall data quality even further.
Increased Safety
By deploying UAS for infrastructure inspection, state DOTs can minimize the risk to personnel working in hazardous environments. UAS can aid inspectors in inspecting bridges, retaining walls, culverts, and other structures without requiring direct physical access, thereby reducing potential accidents and injuries to personnel. UAS have proven to be successful in data collection for retaining walls, providing state DOTs with the data needed to create 3D models of the structures to support data-driven decisions about frequency of inspection and maintenance schedules (Wheeler and Organ 2023). Figure 10 provides an example of a large 3D model of a retaining wall inspected by Caltrans as part of its post-fire response inspections. The data can often be collected more easily using UAS, increasing safety by allowing the data collection to occur from a more secure location when working in steep areas and difficult terrain.
There are multiple risks that personnel could encounter when inspecting transportation infrastructure. More obvious risks are working at heights or near moving traffic, but other risks could
Figure 10. 3D model of retaining walls as part of post-fire response.
include contact with toxic chemicals and emissions, high-voltage equipment, or poisonous vegetation. UAS can increase safety by putting a tool in workers’ hands that allows them to perform inspections and data collection from safer areas (Danielak 2019). Hubbard and Hubbard (2020b) conducted a thorough study in which they identified ways UAS can help mitigate over 15 risks across four phases of bridge inspection.
Rapid Emergency Response
In the event of natural disasters or accidents, UAS can be deployed quickly to assess damages and identify critical areas for response efforts. This capability enables state DOTs to respond more effectively to emergencies and allocate resources efficiently. State DOTs have reported how UAS can be used to provide better situational awareness from the aerial perspective, locate survivors, communicate with victims, deliver supplies, and provide a rapid situation or damage assessment (Wheeler et al. 2023b).
UAS Opportunities
As technology advances, future UAS technologies are poised to build on the continual progress of the last decade. Future UAS technologies can enhance the realized positive impacts and empower greater return on investment (ROI). This section explores three key future UAS technologies and their potential impacts on state DOTs.
Advanced Data Analytics
AI and ML have been steadily transforming various industries, and their application to UAS technology is promising. AI and ML algorithms enable autonomous data processing, real-time analysis, and decision-making, making UAS smarter and more efficient in their operations.
Potential impacts include enhanced data analysis, improved asset management, and better traffic management. Advanced analytics tools for data processing can process vast amounts of data collected by UAS and provide valuable insights. State DOTs can use these data for traffic monitoring, infrastructure assessment, and to identify potential hazards. AI and ML are platform agnostic; they can be used both on-board UAS as they collect data and for the off-board
processing of that data. These applications of AI and ML can help state DOTs better manage their infrastructure assets, such as bridges and roads, by detecting defects and predicting maintenance needs and associated schedules. This proactive approach could increase cost savings throughout an asset’s lifecycle. AI-equipped UAS can monitor traffic patterns and congestion, helping state DOTs optimize traffic flow and gather data over time to inform the design of more efficient road networks.
BVLOS Operations
BVLOS operations refer to UAS flights conducted beyond the operator’s or pilot’s visual range, unlocking a multitude of possibilities for UAS applications. While regulations are still to be finalized to warrant regular BVLOS operations, the technology exists to make these operations possible. BVLOS flights are made possible through advanced technologies like robust communication networks and detect-and-avoid systems.
Possible impacts on state DOTs and use cases include expanded survey and mapping capabilities, better ongoing monitoring advantages, and on-demand UAS capabilities. UAS have become widely adopted as an additional tool in the toolbox for survey needs. UAS can capture data that can be processed into accurate data sets. Allowing BVLOS operations would mature these capabilities by covering larger areas. Ideal transportation projects for this type of operation could be long stretches of highway or vast transportation networks. Similarly, BVLOS-capable UAS could provide more robust and efficient monitoring for large construction projects or monitoring weather or earth-movement conditions. Another positive benefit of BVLOS operations could be faster emergency or disaster response. UAS could quickly reach remote or hard-to-reach areas and provide real-time situational awareness to enable data-informed decision-making for response and recovery efforts.
Drone-in-a-Box Platforms
While state DOTs have been operating autonomous mapping or inspection missions for some time, the commercial “drone-in-a-box” system may be advantageous in certain asset management use cases. Karpowicz (2018) explains that the term drone-in-a-box refers to a system in which a UAS can reside in a temperature-controlled box or hangar with charging capabilities. It can launch from the hangar, conduct a data collection mission, and return to the hangar, all autonomously. These solutions enable automatic UAS charging, launch, and recovery without human intervention, which can make UAS operations more scalable and efficient.
Potential uses of these types of systems include remotely inspecting critical infrastructure or monitoring avalanche or earth-movement conditions, reducing the need for personnel to travel to potentially hazardous or remote locations. These systems could make inspections safer and more cost-effective, and make it possible to conduct operations at any time. Drone-in-a-box systems could be deployed in strategic locations and programmed for routine patrols or triggered by specific events. This ability for regular or on-call surveillance can enhance security and emergency response measures.
Langåker et al. (2021) conducted field research testing this type of system for electrical substation inspections in the remote mountains of Norway. The research team termed the system an Autonomous Resident Drone-based Inspection System (ARDIS). The ARDIS includes an autonomous UAS platform that has sense and avoid capabilities, a charging-capable hangar that can autonomously launch and receive the UAS, and a communication system for user interface and remote management of the UAS. This specific system was customized for harsh weather conditions and for inspections of electrical substations, as shown in Figure 11.
Figure 11. ARDIS at the Aura, Norway, substation.
The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (Alaska DOT&PF) is testing two drone-in-a-box or dock systems from two different UAS manufacturers. The main testing site is in Juneau, where UAS provide ongoing monitoring services of avalanche conditions in the mountains above Thane Road, the major roadway connecting Juneau and Thane (Canny 2023).
The Utah DOT (UDOT) has used UAS to monitor the functionality of avalanche control systems that rely on detonating explosives to trigger controlled avalanches. Using UAS, UDOT was able to provide a live camera feed while testing and operating the avalanche control equipment, as shown in Figure 12. In addition, UAS allowed UDOT to get close or zoom in with a
Figure 12. UDOT monitoring avalanche control devices with UAS. (a) Close-up inspection of the avalanche control system. (b) Detonation of the system while monitored with UAS.
camera while reducing risks to workers. For past operations, having personnel near the site when detonating these explosions has not been possible because of the danger involved. Future use cases reported by UDOT include using UAS to map the mountain slopes before snow events to understand the underlying topography and snow depth, which may provide additional information to help forecast avalanche events. UDOT has already used UAS to map avalanche events to understand their scale, properly mitigate their damage, and mobilize the correct equipment needed to reopen roadways. Drone-in-a-box systems could potentially be a good fit for these types of applications.
An anticipated benefit of this technology is increased savings. The automated nature of drone-in-a-box solutions could minimize the need for on-site drone operators, resulting in cost savings for state DOTs and quicker response times to incidents.
Just as there were early and late adopter state DOTs for the initial adoption of UAS technologies, the same will hold true for future applications of UAS technology. Some potential consequences of not exploring the integration of these new technologies could include missed opportunities, increased risk of falling behind in UAS technology, and reduced competitiveness. State DOTs that remain hesitant to explore the potential opportunities may miss out on substantial efficiency gains and cost savings that these technologies can offer. The failure to adopt AI and ML for data processing, for example, could lead to inefficiencies in infrastructure management and data analysis.
While UAS have greatly increased safety across numerous use cases at state DOTs, technology such as drone-in-a-box systems could increase safety even further. By not exploring these options, state DOTs may be missing opportunities to further increase safety for their workforce. As other state DOTs and transportation agencies embrace these technologies, those agencies that do not may fall behind in terms of technological advancements, ultimately reducing their effectiveness in delivering transportation services.
Future UAS technologies, such as AI and ML for data processing, drone-in-a-box solutions, and BVLOS operations, hold great promise for state DOTs. By leveraging these technologies, state DOTs could significantly improve their efficiency, safety, and effectiveness in managing transportation infrastructure and services. These innovations could lead to more proactive and data-driven decision-making. Conversely, failure to explore and adopt these technologies may result in missed opportunities, increased risks, and decreased competitiveness for state DOTs.
AAM Challenges and Opportunities
As outlined in the previous chapter, AAM offers a wide range of potential use cases. As these use cases begin to mature, state DOTs will continue to experience situations that require them to evaluate the opportunities and the impacts of acting versus doing nothing. AAM may not be a far-distant future possibility; it has rapidly evolved and has now received significant attention from federal regulators, policymakers, and private industry. The FAA and other federal entities have already initiated efforts to integrate AAM. Consequently, state DOTs have started to seek additional understanding regarding AAM and what role it may play. If state DOTs are hesitant to proactively engage with the emergence of AAM, they may risk being left behind and forced into a reactionary stance, akin to the challenges faced with the sudden proliferation of e-scooters in urban environments (Latinopoulos et al. 2021).
Without proactive engagement in the realm of AAM, state DOTs risk impeding the development of this burgeoning industry. Either the industry will face barriers to entry due to inconsistent regulations across cities within a state, or it will bypass the state DOTs altogether, working directly with cities and potentially leading to regulatory fragmentation and operational inconsistencies. However, by taking proactive steps to integrate AAM into their roadmaps, state DOTs
can foster collaboration between industry stakeholders, local governments, and regulatory bodies to establish coherent frameworks and standards. This proactive approach will help state DOTs anticipate challenges, address potential safety concerns, and seamlessly integrate AAM into existing transportation networks.
Furthermore, the coordination required for successful AAM integration naturally extends into the need for broader interagency and interstate coordination, as discussed in Chapters 5 and 6. AAM represents just one facet of the broader multimodal transportation ecosystem, and effective coordination between state, local, and federal agencies is essential to ensure the efficient and safe operation of these emerging technologies.
AAM has many known operational and implementation challenges, such as the challenge of whether these aircraft will result in noise or visual pollution that negatively impacts people. There are concerns about whether AAM will be equitable, safe, and secure. For more details on various challenges or risks for AAM, see NCHRP Research Report 1090: Risks Related to Emerging and Disruptive Transportation Technologies (Popper et al. 2024).
The consequences of AAM integration for eVTOLs and electric aircraft at this point are purely anticipated because there are yet to be real-world operations with certified eVTOLs. It is anticipated that AAM aircraft will be safe due to the significant testing required through the rigorous FAA aircraft certification process. AAM aircraft will be held to robust aviation safety standards. Aside from safety, organizations are working hard to complete studies and provide data that give insight into what else can be expected, but until the initial phases of operation, nothing can be known for certain (Organ 2022). The anticipated consequences are also subjective. For example, there are many opinions about whether something is actually going to benefit a community. In this section, the top three predicted benefits that emerged in the research (based on the assumption that integration challenges are overcome) are explored: improved quality of life, economic growth, and cheaper transportation alternatives.
Improved Quality of Life
The benefit that was most frequently anticipated in the literature, surveys, and focus groups covered in this research project, if AAM is successfully integrated, is improved quality of life. Examples of improved quality of life include healthcare access and increased connectivity.
AAM has the potential to increase access to healthcare services, thus improving the quality of life for communities. One of the most substantial social benefits could be applications like medivac, organ delivery, the distribution of vaccines and testing supplies, moving medical specialists to the location of the injured, and other tasks of that nature. Communities today are accepting of noisy medivac helicopters because they know that they are necessary to transport patients needing immediate medical care. If the technology provides quieter and more affordable aircraft that prove the same capabilities over time, medivac and other medical delivery service providers could potentially be early adopters in specific use cases (Organ 2022).
The greater adoption of telemedicine in recent years has increased access to healthcare professionals, but it has not necessarily increased access to medications. In rural areas where people may not have immediate access to pharmacies, they may have to drive great distances or wait days to receive prescriptions. AAM can fill that gap and, together with telemedicine, provide a rapid link to medications and other medical supplies. AAM could also enable greater access to in-person healthcare by providing a more financially feasible, rapid form of transportation for medical professionals to remote areas.
AAM could help tip the scales toward a more sustainable aviation option. OEMs are often quick to share how their all-electric aircraft do not burn traditional fuels or release harmful emissions
into the atmosphere. While AAM could be a step in the right direction on environmental efforts, there are some hesitations (Organ 2022).
If AAM services could reach an affordable price point, it is anticipated that AAM could be integrated into city and regional transportation hubs and scaled, which would potentially provide a highly convenient, fast, affordable, and flexible transportation option. AAM could improve the public transportation system for the greater good of communities. These key point-to-point connections could provide time savings, allowing more face-to-face connections and enabling more discovery for more people (Organ 2022).
These levels of connectivity would provide people with more choices for where to live while still being connected to the economic cores of cities. Those larger cities that properly integrate AAM could become more desirable places for more people to live (Organ 2022).
Economic Growth
AAM is anticipated to bring economic growth to cities and regions. Therefore, departments of economic development at the state and local levels should play a role in the development of a regional AAM vision. These economic development experts can help identify funding strategies and recruitment strategies that will support a state or city’s ability to recruit these new businesses to come to their area.
It can be important for cities and states to engage early with local businesses about what AAM technology is and how it could benefit their companies. These early conversations could lead to strategic public-private partnerships (P3s) in starting up AAM within a region. In addition to a dialogue with local businesses, states and cities can view AAM from a planning perspective and seek to understand how AAM can support the overall economic development plan (e.g., exploring how vertiports can become community and transportation hubs and the associated economic development opportunities from this infrastructure) (Organ 2022). State, county, and city economic development offices, metropolitan planning organizations, regional planning organizations, and city and regional chambers of commerce can all play critical roles in helping businesses and communities understand the potential economic growth for the area because of AAM technologies.
Cheaper Alternative
The last of the anticipated benefits to be discussed is how AAM may be a cheaper transportation alternative. While there are studies about the expected passenger cost of using eVTOLs, this section will discuss costs from an infrastructure and operations perspective. Because the powerplant and fuel approach of AAM aircraft will be electric, hydrogen-powered, or hybrid systems, it is anticipated that these aircraft will have much lower operating costs when compared to traditional aviation (Organ 2022).
The ground infrastructure needed to support AAM will likely be a more affordable option over traditional roads or rail infrastructure. High-speed rail infrastructure can cost an average of more than $100 million per mile, and road infrastructure can cost an average of $11 million per mile (O’Toole 2021). AAM infrastructure, such as a vertiport, on the other hand, is anticipated to cost between $3.5 million and $12 million, depending on the size or purpose of the vertiport, as well as the existing energy supply and method of construction (Santha et al. 2021). A point for consideration is that although the infrastructure itself is not necessarily expensive (comparatively), the locations where it may be best suited may be expensive to purchase, alter, or retrofit.
There are various theories on how to scale AAM operations to make it as affordable as possible. Research is ongoing on how existing regional aircraft can be electrified or how these new AAM energy technologies can be scaled to larger aircraft. Efforts are being made to fully integrate AAM in a way that results in a new, cheaper transportation alternative, creates economic growth, and improves the quality of lives around the world.
As noted at the beginning of this section, all of these efforts are not without many complex challenges and obstacles. These anticipated benefits emerged from the research based on the assumption that these challenges will be overcome.
Evaluation Tools
One of the tools that state DOTs can use to evaluate opportunities and potential impacts of UAS integration is a capability maturity model (CMM) assessment. The CMM assessment was developed using the capability maturity framework that was created in the 1980s in the software development industry and has been adapted and used across a variety of industries since its creation (Mallela et al. 2020). The UAS CMM assessment was developed specifically for state DOTs to analyze UAS programs and their associated maturity levels, outstanding capabilities, or opportunities to leverage. The assessment is designed such that the individual or group of individuals completing the assessment will score the organization (on a scale of one to three) on multiple components across critical success factors. There are 35 components across six critical success factors: awareness of UAS, general overview of integration, people analysis, processes analysis, technology analysis, and policy analysis. While historically, this UAS CMM assessment has been used to understand UAS program maturity, it can also assist in evaluating outstanding opportunities and potential impacts. State DOTs can adapt or customize the UAS CMM assessment to best fit their evaluation needs. The assessment tool is included in Appendix A.
To evaluate UAS opportunities and impact, state DOTs can also use external peer coordination, internal collaboration, and use case analysis:
- External Peer Coordination: Individuals from state DOTs who are exploring UAS adoption or are new to integrating UAS into operations can reach out to other state DOTs that have well-established and mature UAS programs. By talking to experienced UAS program managers, state DOTs can understand how UAS are used, the ROI seen across use cases, which use cases or divisions initially adopted UAS, and other key topics of interest. More information on peer-to-peer coordination and coordinating resources is provided in Chapter 5: Framework and Tools for Coordinating Resources.
- Internal Collaboration: New UAS program managers can work internally with the various divisions across their state DOT and seek to understand where the pain points are, the needs or operational challenges being faced, and how UAS could potentially assist. More information on this topic is provided in the “Internal UAS Agency Outreach” section of Chapter 6: Outreach and Collaboration Strategies.
- Use Cases Analysis: Once challenges are identified, state DOTs can take the next step to identify specific use cases where UAS could help. By doing a thorough analysis across the organization to identify the top three use cases for UAS implementation, the state DOT can take a phased approach. More information on how to do this using a pilot project framework is provided in the “Internal Agency UAS Outreach” section of Chapter 6: Outreach and Collaboration Strategies.
A tool that can help state DOTs evaluate AAM opportunities is provided in ACRP Research Report 243: Urban Air Mobility: An Airport Perspective (Mallela et al. 2023). Although this report
and associated toolkit were developed specifically for airports, they can still provide utility to state DOTs. One of the associated tools is another CMM assessment that was designed for airports to assess their readiness for AAM integration. State DOTs can adapt this assessment and convert the questions or topics to a state DOT perspective. At a minimum, the tool can assist in facilitating internal and external discussions about various considerations when it comes to evaluating AAM opportunities and potential impacts. An additional tool that can assist state DOTs in understanding the various risks and challenges of AAM is the risk register included in NCHRP Research Report 1090: Risks Related to Emerging and Disruptive Transportation Technologies (Popper et al. 2024).
State DOTs can initiate a comprehensive, statewide analysis of existing transportation infrastructure to identify key areas that could benefit from AAM technologies. The state DOT can work with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development to perform an economic impact assessment related to AAM adoption throughout the state. Coordination and outreach efforts with multiple stakeholders will help identify AAM opportunities and anticipated impacts; frameworks for this coordination are discussed in Chapter 5.
