Smart technologies for traffic are a delicately woven web of processes that help transport personnel, drivers, and commuters regulate the flow and efficiency of traffic. Intelligent traffic systems can alter the controls of traffic lights, freeway onramp meters and bus rapid transit lanes. They also make use of advanced IoT hardware and routers as technologytraffic.com/2021/12/29/generated-post-3 well as cellular technology and mobile networks. They can also forecast changes in traffic demand and provide real-time information for road users.
Pittsburgh’s adaptive traffic signal system is a perfect example. Stephen Smith, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) He installed his first traffic signals in a congestion-ridden area of East Liberty in the city. The immediate results were evident. Drivers traveled 25 percent more efficiently and spent 40 percent less idling.
The system is able to collect data from sensors which monitor the flow of traffic and adjust their timings on the fly. It also detects pedestrians at intersections, and allows them enough time to safely cross the street. The sensors send their raw data to a central hub, where it is processed by artificial intelligence. The data is then transmitted back to the intersections through 5G-enabled cell networks.
These intelligent systems also allow for better, more accurate simulation of risk-reducing scenarios that a human traffic planner could not manage – all in real-time. This is a significant step towards Vision Zero, the goal of safe road-driving where humans and vehicles are able to share the road without collision.