A delicately knitted network of processes, smart technology for traffic help transport personnel, drivers and commuters control traffic flow and efficiency. Intelligent traffic systems can alter control mechanisms such as traffic lights and freeway onramp meters as well as bus rapid transit lanes. They also use advanced IoT hardware and routers with cellular technology, as well as cell networks. They can also help forecast changes in traffic demand and offer a variety of real-time information to road users.
An excellent example is the adaptive traffic signal system in Pittsburgh. Stephen Smith, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) He installed his first experimental traffic signals in the heavily congested part of East Liberty in the city. The immediate results were evident. Drivers were able to travel 25 percent faster and spent 40 percent less time idling.
The system is able to collect information from sensors that monitor the flow of traffic and adjust their timing on-the-fly. It 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 and then dispatched back out to the intersections via 5G-enabled cellular networks.
These systems can provide more accurate and precise modeling of scenarios that reduce the risk, something that human traffic managers cannot accomplish. And all this in real-time. This is a big step towards Vision Zero, a goal of safe and secure driving in which humans and vehicles share the road without collisions.