Do traffic signals need to be predictable? Researchers are experimenting with giving traffic lights a mind of their own, with the power to change with the flow of traffic, sensing when it would be most advantageous to be red or green.
Of course, some tinkering with traffic patterns already occurs, but researchers thought, what if the signal could sense the need at its intersection and respond to it autonomously?
But, as Rebecca Boyle writes at Popular Science, "...this "jungle principle" of every light for itself does not result in harmony, the researchers said. If each traffic light responds to its immediate demands, then all the lights will just react to the traffic coming from nearby intersections, which defeats the purpose of a smart network.
The solution is a decentralized approach that lets the traffic lights work together..."
FULL STORY: Giving Traffic Lights a Mind of Their Own Can Reduce Congestion
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research