Smart Traffic Light System

The principle of operation of the Smart Traffic Light system. Source: moxa.com

Further, based on the sensor readings, the central server commands the traffic light controllers to turn on the red/green light so as to minimize the time spent by cars at intersections. For example, if a high load is observed in one of the directions, the green light is extended to it ^[1]

The system is able to predict the transport situation 15-30 minutes ahead and develop an effective traffic management plan in advance. In the event of an accident at intersections, this plan is automatically adjusted.

Depending on the types of sensors, the system can take into account the priority of public transport, emergency services and "special support" in front of other participants in the movement. In the event of a failure, traffic lights are switched to offline operation, and intersections begin to be regulated in the traditional way. This avoids transport collapse when emergency situations occur.

Key benefits

Traffic jams greatly affect the social life of modern cities. Labor productivity decreases, logistics deteriorates. The population becomes negative towards the city authorities. Multi-kilometer traffic jams lead to large losses of income. This is useless the wasted time of car owners, wasted fuel, an increase in the emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere.

According to estimates by the American Carnegie Mellon University, due to traffic jams, the US economy alone loses more than $120 billion annually. These losses are associated with the inefficient use of labor resources and the additional release of about 25 billion kg of harmful substances into the atmosphere. Scientists at the University have calculated that the introduction of the Smart Traffic Light system allows drivers to reduce road time by almost 25%, and the time spent in traffic jams by more than 40%. As a result, motorists are given the chance to spend more time on useful things instead of wasting time in traffic. According to researchers, smart traffic lights also reduce the amount of harmful substances emitted into the atmosphere by almost 21%.

It is worth noting that despite the obvious advantages, smart traffic lights will not be able to completely solve the problem of traffic jams. The Smart Traffic Light system can only maximize the performance of the intersection. At the same time, the city authorities will still have to expand roads and build complex transport interchanges. According to analysts, one city lane on average is capable of serving no more than 1800 cars per hour. And this is provided that vehicles do not stop at intersections and do not face obstacles such as narrowing the road, poor road track quality, etc. Since the number of cars in our country is steadily growing, it is obvious that even with the maximum performance of intersections, traffic jams in large megacities will grow if they are only engaged in the implementation of Smart Traffic Light systems and do not solve other road problems.

Chronicle

2024: Traffic lights were launched in Moscow with the fixation of the faces of pedestrian violators

Traffic lights were launched in Moscow with the fixation of the faces of pedestrian violators. This was announced in early January 2024 by the head of the Moscow State Traffic Inspectorate Alexander Bykov.

The first traffic light with a biometric camera, which allows you to recognize faces, was launched on Berezhkovskaya embankment. The device can detect traffic violations by pedestrians, people on electric scooters and other means of individual mobility. The violation is broadcast on an electronic scoreboard next to a traffic light. At the same time, while the system does not identify the identity of the violator, said Alexander Bykov.

The first traffic light with a biometric camera, which allows you to recognize faces, was launched on Berezhkovskaya embankment

To effectively bring pedestrians to administrative responsibility, Bykov called for the collection of biometrics to be made a duty, not a right of citizens. In this regard, the issue of changing the legislation on personal data may be raised, he clarified.

Russians have the right to refuse to collect and store biometric data. Those who make such a decision will not be able to access services provided with biometrics, including payment with voice or face identification. If desired, the ban can be revoked.

According to the head of the Moscow State Traffic Inspectorate, changes in the relevant regulatory legal acts and national standards will be required. Bykov believes that this will fully correspond to the tasks set out in national projects.

In mid-October 2023, a new GOST was developed in Russia, which is designed to improve the safety of pedestrians. This standard was developed primarily for road services and regulates the speed limit before an unregulated pedestrian crossing, the installation of additional cameras and the adjustment of switching traffic lights.^[2]

2023: Traffic lights appeared in Moscow warning pedestrians about the appearance of a car due to a turn

On February 9, 2023, the Moscow Department of Transport told about the appearance of traffic lights in the city, which warn pedestrians about the appearance of a car due to a turn. Such equipment operates in pilot mode in five areas:

• at the intersection of the 1st passage of Perov Field and Zeleny Prospekt;
• at the intersection of Central Avenue and Yablonevaya Alley (Zelenograd) Street;
• at the intersection of Central Avenue and Nikolai Zlobin Street (Zelenograd);
• at the intersection of Sergei Eisenstein Street and Longitudinal Passage;
• at the intersection of Shirokaya Street and Projected Passage No. 5286.

Previously, when the green light burned simultaneously for pedestrians and turning cars, the warning was turned on only for drivers. Pedestrians did not know that the car could drive due to the turn. A new model of traffic lights warns pedestrians as well. When driving in combination at a pedestrian traffic light, the white silhouette of the car and the exclamation mark additionally flashes. The data center clarified that we are talking about traffic lights that allow the simultaneous movement of pedestrians and cars.

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Фото: Moscow Department of Transport

If testing is successful, consider using such traffic lights. First of all, where there is a risk of an accident, - said the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport Maxim Liksutov, whose words are quoted in the Telegram channel of Deptrans.

Earlier in Moscow, they began to test a new traffic light with contour lighting around the perimeter. According to the representative of the National Automobile Union Anton Shaparin, such a traffic light can increase road safety and reduce the number of accidents.^[3]

2022: Traffic lights with contactless buttons appeared in Moscow

At the end of April 2022, traffic lights with contactless buttons appeared in Moscow. This was reported in the Telegram channel of the Moscow Department of Transport.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin instructed to introduce technologies that make moving around the city more convenient for residents. The new buttons are very easy to use - to cross the road, you need to walk with your hand next to the device placed at the traffic light, the department said.

Traffic lights with contactless buttons appeared in Moscow

The new technology will be appreciated by pedestrians with busy hands who no longer have to put their phone in their pocket or put bags on the ground to press a button. Now it is enough to hold your hand next to the device placed at the traffic light, and he will switch.

As noted in the Moscow Department of Transport, contactless buttons at traffic lights are a completely domestic development. It is planned to scale it within Moscow, and by April 25, 2022, the technology is available at five addresses:

• Berezhkovskaya nab. d.22, 24
• Lesnaya st. - 2nd Lesnoy per.
• Georgievsky Prospekt, Letchitsy Tarasova Street
• Kosygina str. D.9
• Zelenograd, Central Avenue, building 128,241.

By introducing contactless buttons, the Moscow authorities continued to improve traffic light systems in the city. Earlier, traffic lights with a combined phase appeared at several intersections of Moscow, allowing pedestrians to cross the road and cars to turn right at the same time.

In accordance with international traffic safety experience, for pedestrians making the crossing, the green signal will light up a few seconds earlier than for drivers, - explained in the Center for Traffic Management (DPC).

In addition, an additional section of white-lunar color with the image of a pedestrian and an arrow will appear at traffic lights. The new solution, explained in the data center, should simultaneously increase the throughput of streets by 30% and reduce the waiting time for the transition for pedestrians and cyclists by 40%.^[4]

2019: Installing more than 2.5 thousand LED traffic lights

On March 13, 2019, Rostec announced that the Shvabe holding in 2018 installed more than 2.5 thousand LED traffic lights in Moscow with a countdown. About a thousand of them are also equipped with a sound tracking device. In particular, the central intersections of the capital are equipped with this equipment. Read more here.

2007-2017

The first attempts at centralized traffic light control were made in the United States and Canada back in the distant 60s of the last century. By 2017, the Smart Traffic Light system was being introduced everywhere in all developed Western countries (USA, Great Britain, Denmark, etc.). In Copenhagen, it is even planned to install about 400 smart traffic lights that would give advantage to cyclists and public transport at intersections. It is planned to allocate about $9 million of budget funds for this. According to the calculations of the city authorities, such a decision will allow cyclists and city transport to move around Copenhagen 10 and 5-20% faster, respectively.

Among the main market players offering specialized solutions for smart traffic lights can be distinguished, IBM SCOOT, SCATS, RHODES, UTOPIA, etc. In 2010, IBM even planned to make a patent that would allow the engines of cars passing red lights to be remotely turned off.

In Russia, the first smart traffic lights appeared in Moscow. Tests took place about 10 years ago on an experimental site with a length of 7.5 km. Sensors located along the roads monitored the density of the traffic flow and transmitted this information to a single control center, which, based on the readings obtained, optimized the operation of traffic lights at intersections. At the beginning of 2015, a significant part of the capital's traffic lights was already connected to the automated traffic control system (ASUDD). At the beginning of 2016, information appeared that the main traffic lights in the capital began to control not only traffic density. Weather conditions and accidents also began to be taken into account.

See also

• AIC Safe City - as part of the implementation of the federal program "Safe City"
• Smart cities
• State IT giants: the 10 most expensive information systems in modern Russia
• Intelligent Transport Infrastructure (ITS) Russia
• Intelligent Transport System (Moscow)
• Smart Traffic Light System
• Golden Crown: Electronic Travel Card

• Transportation Management System Transport Management Systems and _Projects
• Fleet management systems Auto management systems Systems and _projects
• Vehicle Safety and Control SystemsSystems and _Designs
• Satellite Communications and NavigationSystems and _Projects

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