Smart technologies for traffic are a delicately woven network of processes that assist transportation personnel, drivers and commuters control the flow and efficiency of traffic. Utilizing advanced IoT sensors, hardware routers, cellular technology and sensors intelligent traffic systems automatically adjust control mechanisms such as traffic lights, freeway on-ramp meters bus rapid transit lanes highway message boards, and even speed limits. They also can forecast changes in traffic demand, and provide real-time information to road users.
A good example is the traffic signal system that is adaptive in Pittsburgh. Stephen Smith, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) He installed his first experimental traffic signals in a congested part of East Liberty in the city. He saw immediate results. Drivers travelled 25 percent further and were able to drive 40 percent more efficiently.
The system is able to collect data from sensors which monitor traffic patterns and adjust their timing on the fly. It also detects pedestrians at intersections, and gives them enough time to cross the street safely. The sensors then send their raw data to a central center where it’s processed by artificial intelligence and then sent back to the intersections using 5G-enabled cell networks.
These intelligent systems also permit better, more accurate modeling of risk-reducing scenarios that a human traffic supervisor could not achieve and all in real-time. This is a significant step towards technologytraffic.com/2020/05/01/modern-traffic-technologies-by-board-room Vision Zero, a goal of safe and secure driving in which both vehicles and humans share the road with no collisions.
