Having to drive around this College Station traffic light almost daily has made me realized how much I despise it. I will always catch it green while I am at the top of the hill/exit ramp and whenever I finally get to the light it is red once again and I’m stuck waiting forever. However, it did made me think of the progression of traffic management over time. I’m sure we’ve all heard the theory that if you flash your lights at an empty intersection, the light person in the box will turn the light green for you! Yeah that’s a myth. Traffic management has changed from manual management of traffic by police officers (we still see some crossing guards ex. Five Points around 3pm) to the use of advanced technology such as AI. With cities growing in the United States, we’re bound to see further advancement in traffic management.
The history of the traffic light
December 10, 1968 is the official birth date of the traffic light. Parliament Square in London had a gas-lit signal installed and was used to the control the traffic of horse carriages in the area, and to allow pedestrians cross. These gas-lit signals were manually lit by police officers. Short lived traffic signal as it would blow up a few months later and kill the police officer working.
The world would wait over 46 years until the first appearance of a dual-colored traffic signal using electricity appeared on the streets of Cleveland in 1914. 6 years later, the cities of Detroit and New York would add the yellow between red and green. Thus resulting in the traffic light we see today with some improvements along the way!
AI in Traffic Management
With or without traffic signals, traffic congestion exists everywhere all around the world. In the US, drivers spend up to 58% more time stuck in traffic compared to other cities across the globe. On average, US drivers waste 97 hours stuck in traffic each year. AI is set to play a significant role in transforming urban transportation by reducing traffic congestion and improving travel times. This has the added benefit of reducing emissions as drivers spend less time idling in traffic.
By analyzing real-time data collected from vehicles such as cars, buses, and trains, artificial intelligence can identify potential safety challenges and help mitigate risks. This is done by analyzing patterns in the data that may indicate safety issues. Additionally, by utilizing coordinated traffic light information, urban planners can suggest ways to reduce the number of accidents and improve overall safety in the transportation system.
The benefits of using AI in Traffic Management
Passage for emergency vehicles, improved urban planning, and intelligent parking planning are some of the benefits and challenges solved by AI. The passage of emergency vehicles through congested is important when time is the most important factor. AI can be used to give priority to emergency vehicles such as ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars. Using real-time data on traffic conditions and the current location of the emergency vehicles, traffic signals are adjusted to provide clear paths for emergency vehicles to allow them to reach their destination quickly and safely. With urban planning, AI provides data on the historical traffic congestion along the routes within the area. In addition to this, AI developers are able to build models and use predictive analytics to understand how people move around the city. The improvement of parking infrastructure efficiency is always important especially for commuters. Algorithms can analyze data from sensors installed in parking lots and parking spaces to provide information on availability. This reduces time spent circling the block for drivers in search of a spot. AI can also be used to predict parking demand for the time frame and suggest the best available spots for drivers before they arrive. This introduces the idea of smart parking pricing where parking fees based on real-time demand and incentivizes drivers to park somewhere else. Sorry but I’m not sure if AI can help the parking situation here in Athens.
NoTraffic
NoTraffic is the world’s leading mobility platform. They have developed the first AI-powered traffic signal platform that connects road users to the city grid in order to solve the traffic challenges of today. The problem, as described by NoTraffic, is that there are over 90 million new vehicles introduced to roads every year, a 12% annual increase in traffic congestion, and 40% of car accidents occur at intersections. 99% of signalized intersections still run on fixed timing plans (This is why I despise that College Station traffic light).
The company has had some trial runs in cities with one being in Phoenix, Arizona (5th largest city in the US), however I have been unable to find any recent news of the program since it started up in 2020. In previous deployments, NoTraffic reported up to 40% reduction in vehicle delay time.
Conclusion
While traffic congestion continues to be a challenge in cities worldwide, the integration of AI in traffic management is set to revolutionize transportation systems, if the investment is there. From improving travel times and reducing emissions to enhancing safety and prioritizing emergency vehicles, AI has already demonstrated its potential to addressing urban mobility challenges. I’ll be happiest person ever the day I return to Athens and sit at the College Station light for less than 90 seconds.
https://www.clickworker.com/customer-blog/artificial-intelligence-road-traffic/
Hello Andy! This was a great post. I am someone who hates traffic or waiting for a red light that doesn’t change, so it is fascinating to see how new technologies such as AI are being used to help with this issue. I think NoTraffic is an innovative idea and didn’t know something like this existed so I will definitely look more into it. I wonder how much this would help in urban cities, but I am excited to see what the future holds in store for this technology.
Hey Andy! I thought this was a very interesting post. I think AI can play a huge role in running through scenarios and different red-light-green light combinations to find the most efficient way for cars to get through a light during certain parts of the day. I think AI is best used when trying to find the fastest way to do something.
If AI can help out traffic I one hundred percent support this. Personally I live in a town with very little traffic so coming to athens and Atlanta has been a big shock for me. The use of artificial intelligent is awesome on the more efficient use of roads, lights, and traffic patterns. Very interesting!
HI Andy! Really cool about NoTraffic, I am curious about the end – to – end application of this system. What will users have to download to interact and could this pose a danger from a distracted driver’s perspective?
HI Andy! There are few things worse than waiting at an excessively long traffic light. AI can be used to deal with this inconvenient part of life, and if this could simultaneously improve driver safety, I am all for it. It will be interesting to see how this works alongside self driving vehicles to completely change the driving experience. Good work!
Awesome post Andy. I’ve always had a curiosity of traffic automation so I really enjoyed reading this post. It is crazy that 99% of intersections run on fixed timing plans. Like you mentioned, if there is enough investment within this industry, I think the opportunity and benefit that will come from advancements will be game changing for climate, driving efficiency, accidents, and road rage.
Hey Andy, it definitely is relatable how frustrating it is to get stuck at a traffic light, and it’s interesting to see how traffic management has evolved over time, from manual management to advanced technology like AI. The benefits of using AI in traffic management are so cool, from improving travel times and reducing emissions to prioritizing emergency vehicles and predicting parking demand. I can’t wait to see where this takes us down the road, no pun intended.
Hey Andy! I totally get your frustration with that intersection, there are definitely some notorious ones across town that I absolutely try to avoid, haha! I didn’t realize how much of an improvement self driving cars could bring to traffic problems, I had heard of things like the “traffic snake” before about braking once causes a constant brake in some ways that everyone then will go through but I didn’t know a self driving car could help so much! Excited, as Alex said, to see where this road takes us, haha!
Hi Andy, your post caught my attention as I find traffic management really interesting. I interned with a civil engineering firm and learned a lot about the technology that they use to simulate traffic and track patterns in order to adjust timings. NoTraffic sounds like a cool platform to help improve this industry.
Hey andy! This is such an awesome post. I would hope that AI could be able to help traffic out because there are so many times when I get frustrated with intersection traffic. AI could definitely bring in a lot of improvements and could change the way traffic operates.
Hey Andy, great post! Traffic is literally the worst and I’m surprised we haven’t done more to combat it. When you look at the numbers and realize how much time we spend in traffic a year, it is incredibly disheartening. Traffic is honestly one of the biggest reasons I do not want to work in Atlanta or ever work somewhere that is further than 15 minutes from my house. If AI can create urban renovations that could decrease traffic, or change the algorithm in the stop lights to change more efficiently, I am all for it.
This had better become a thing. Sitting on Barnett shoals trying to turn onto Oconee street is one of the worst experiences. There seemed to be no thought when developing the timing schedule for that area and it is infuriating. This would be the perfect application of AI. It would save us so much time.
Hey Andy, this post is great and I also hate sitting in traffic. I think we are definitely on the right to track to eliminate traffic all together. With advancements in the future of self driving cars, I could see these two technologies working together to limit time passengers and drivers would sit in traffic. This is kind of technology is something I would invest in, even if it limited the time I sit in traffic by 20%.
Hey Andy, this is a really great post and something I never thought that I would read about. One thing that I hate more than anything else is sitting and waiting in traffic. I don’t believe that there is anything worse than Barnett Shoals traffic light as William mentioned earlier, so it’s good to see that efforts are being made to combat these issues!
Hi Andy! As many people have also commented, traffic is very annoying. I’m super happy to see that efforts have been made to combat these issues, and hope to see them change how traffic works soon!