Smart Traffic Lights in the Future Cities (2024)

A Salt Lake City police officer named Lester Wire invented traffic lights in 1912. He came up with the idea of a tool that could regulate cars at intersections instead of using police officers who had to spend hours doing the job, whether it was rainy or sunny.

The initial traffic light created by Wire was simple: a wooden box on a pole. Inside the box were two light bulbs colored red and green. The wooden box was connected to electricity and was switched from red to green using a button.

Obviously, smart traffic lights came much later.

Modern Day Traffic Lights

There have been significant changes in traffic lights since Wire’s invention, the most obvious being that we now have yellow lights, and they are no longer controlled manually. The original concept remained, but the lights change on a pre-arranged schedule.

In the twenty-first century, our roads have changed significantly compared to 100 years ago. There are more vehicles, extensive road networks, increased population density, and frequent traffic disruptions.

A Texas A&M Transportation Institute study showed that drivers experienced slowdowns that added 54 hours in traffic delays to their commuting time, even after the pandemic had reduced traffic. These added hours translated to increased fuel costs for the drivers, not to mention excess stress and aggravation.

What Is a Smart Traffic Light?

Engineers have been thinking of better ways to deal with traffic problems and have created “smart” traffic lights. Smart traffic lights can monitor incoming traffic and adjust their timing to facilitate the free flow of vehicles, communicating with other traffic lights in that route and working in unison to stop logjams from developing.

Smart traffic lights are traffic control systems connected to the internet that can adapt traffic light controls based on information gathered from sensors, video systems, and edge devices.

They are similar to ordinary traffic lights in appearance, but they have extra hardware elements, CCTV cameras or IoT sensors. They connect to a cloud-based traffic management platform and use a predictive algorithm to adjust traffic signals dynamically.

Smart traffic lights use traffic signals with individual computers and software with AI capacity. They can utilize cameras, radars, or inductive loop detectors in the pavements to detect oncoming vehicles and adjust their timing.

The main difference between this technology and other dynamic control signals that can be used for this purpose is that this technology combines traditional technology and artificial intelligence.

This technology is currently being used as a pilot program in Pittsburgh to minimize vehicle emissions in the city. Idle vehicles contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, emitting about 30 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.

How does it work? The signals pass information to each other and adapt to changes in traffic conditions to reduce idling times. By using fiber optic receivers like those already used by dynamic control systems, the new technology keeps track of vehicle numbers and changes in real-time to evade congestion as much as possible.

The results from the initial pilot study are motivating. When prototypes were installed in intersections, drivers’ average commuting time was reduced by 25%, and the time spent idling in traffic jams decreased by 40%.

Important Features of a Smart Traffic Light System

For smart traffic lights to work correctly, the system must have the following features:

Adaptive traffic signal controls –ATSC

The predictive algorithm that runs a smart traffic signal system can solve complex traffic management problems. They can correlate traffic signaling laws with mishaps or infractions. The predictive smart traffic light system will eventually be able to make judgments instantly to manage traffic in real time.

Integrated Emergency Vehicle Signal Preemption –ESVP

With an emergency vehicle, every minute counts, and every minute lost lowers the likelihood of survival by 7% to 10%. When it comes to road access, emergency vehicles come first. The following are some ways a smart traffic light system with ESVP can improve the current situation.

• Adapt signaling to let emergency vehicles move more quickly.
• Alter grid signals to redirect the impacted area’s traffic.
• Prioritize signaling in areas near emergency vehicle parking lots, garages, or stations.
• Warn drivers in advance that an emergency vehicle may pass to give them time to move.

Eco-driving mode

Roaring car engines at busy junctions produce air pollution and noise. They also reduce the allure of neighborhoods near crossings for residents. Smart traffic lights help save idling time and promote environmentally friendly driving practices.

Importance of Smart Traffic Signals

We obviously didn’t jump right from Wire’s simple two-light design to smart traffic signals. There were plenty of advances along the way, like when William Potts, a police sergeant from Detroit, invented the modern three-signal traffic light in 1920.

The majority of these traffic signals make use of preset timers, but a handful also use radar, cameras, or sensor systems installed beneath the road to detect vehicles and change the light outside of the predetermined cycle.

These traffic signals are much more advanced than the earliest designs, but by today’s standards, they’re pretty basic. Smart traffic lights are capable of so much more. They constantly observe, control, anticipate, and respond to traffic needs and situations with perfect signal timing.

Smart traffic signals do more than shorten travel times; they benefit bikes and pedestrians, adjust to severe weather, and give traffic engineers a better perspective of traffic conditions.

Pedestrians with disabilities can also benefit from smart traffic systems. Intersections fitted with motion sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence software can detect people with wheelchairs or other assistive devices before they arrive at a crosswalk, approximating their travel time to ensure they get the right of way.

The Gap in Smart Traffic Signals

Budget allocation is the biggest obstacle to adopting smart traffic controllers. Truth in Accounting states that over 80% of the most populated cities in the United States do not have sufficient funds to pay bills and stabilize the budget. The unfunded debts in these cities add up to approximately $330 billion, which leaves little room for investing in new technology. Only 3% of traffic lights in the US are considered “smart.”

Cities are guaranteed a long-term return on investment with smart traffic signals, but policymakers find it challenging to defend the high cost of installing smart traffic signals when they must complete more urgent and underfunded projects.

Only a few government initiatives provide financial support for adopting smart traffic lights, which are unquestionably more expensive than their conventional counterparts.

All About the Smart Stop Lights Act

The Smart Stop Lights Act of 2019, H.R. 3261 (116) is legislation meant to lessen traffic congestion, enhance safety and efficiency on the road, bring lower fuel costs for vehicles, and lessen air pollution. This bill would direct the Transportation Secretary to establish a Smart Technology Traffic Signal Grant Initiative for state and local government bodies.

The grant is expected to cover real-time data measurement and adaptive signal control technology.

The data used in the joint press release was acquired from Los Angeles. They adjusted signal timing from almost 4,600 signalized intersections, reducing commuting time by 12% and increasing speeds by 16%.

Takeaway

There is no doubt that smart traffic lights are necessary in the modern world. They can significantly impact traffic congestion, reduce commuting time, and lower the emission of greenhouse gasses. Hopefully, with grants and other incentives, more cities can take advantage of this exciting technology.

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