A delicately knitted network of processes, smart technology for traffic aid transport personnel as well as commuters and drivers to manage traffic flow and efficiency. Utilizing the latest IoT equipment, sensors routers, cellular technology, and sensors intelligent traffic systems are able to automatically adjust control mechanisms such as traffic lights as well as freeway on-ramp meters bus rapid transit lanes, highway message boards, and even speed limits. They can also help forecast shifts in traffic demands and provide a range of 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), installed his first traffic signals in the heavily congestion-ridden area of East Liberty in the city. The immediate results were evident. Drivers travelled 25 percent more efficiently and spent 40 percent less idling.
The system is able to collect data from sensors that track traffic and adjust their timing on-the-fly. It detects pedestrians at intersections and gives them enough time to cross the street safely. The sensors transmit their raw data to a central hub which is then processed by artificial intelligence. The data is then transmitted back to the intersections using 5G-enabled cell networks.
These systems are intelligent and allow for better and more accurate simulation of scenarios that reduce risks, which human traffic managers are unable to do. All this in real-time. This is a big step towards Vision Zero, a goal of safe and secure driving in which motorists and pedestrians share the road without collisions.