dealings congestion steal our time , reduces our quality of spirit , and wound us economically . But what can we peradventure do about it ? Here ’s how technology and some uncouth sensation could put an end to dealings congestion .
A2010 RAND studynoted that dealings congestion hail from an imbalance in the supply of and demand for road blank , but that “ the vista for building the way out of congestion are modified . ” What ’s more , few congestion - decrease strategies remain effective over sentence and many strategy provide only poor - term rest . Still , there are a pot of things we can do now to relieve traffic , while we ’re also making farsighted - term plan for a less congested future .
Autonomous Vehicles
doubtlessly , human drivers are responsible for making traffic bad . Every time there ’s a tiresome number one wood , or a lane change , or any variety of erratic or irregular jockeying for stead , it sets off a chain - response that ’s felt down the traffic air . But self - motor vehicle , because they will be consistent and predictable , will do much to reduce the individualized nature of driving .
“ Self - drive vehicleswill absent human error from the picture , along with disability and disability . ” Toronto expatriation management system manager Rajeev Roy recount io9 . ” By relying on information processing system and sensors we ’ll be able-bodied to increase the capacity of route . ”
This is what it look like to have the future pull up beside you
Should the great unwashed Without Licenses Be grant To ‘ push back ’ Autonomous Cars ?
Indeed , traffic congestion is , by definition , an issue of scarceness ; it happens when there simply is n’t enough route to go around . Nonoptimal human driving habit account for much of this .
But as Roy channelize out , there are still some big questions surrounding its implementation , including result of jurisdiction , liability , policy claims , and the potency for it to put many people out of work ( like cab and motorbus drivers ) .
“ This is the futurity , ” Roy told io9 , “ I ’m sure we ’ll harness many of these problems . ”
Connected Vehicles
Somewhat related to self-directed vehicles is the affiliated fomite program .
“ In a affiliated fomite , you still have an operator in spite of appearance , says Roy , “ but the vehicle itself is very intelligent . ”
Here ’s how it work : fomite are “ connected ” to others in the plan by communicate with sensing element along the side of the road and to other vehicles . This style , each car have intercourse how far it is from the fomite ahead . What ’s more , the fomite also communicates with the infrastructure itself via a link to the direction center .
“ If there ’s any incident , like an fortuity in front , the system knows something ’s up ahead and that action is required , ” says Roy . “ All vehicles will know if the car in front is brake , so that it can slow down and maintain a safe length to avoid a rear - end collision . ”
Roy says this solution will introduce a host of safety issues .
“ machine-accessible fomite will increase the capacity of roads because each vehicle can drive substantially closer to the other and at mellow speeds — and without experience to worry about clangoring , ” he says , “ The system is taking care of the communications between the vehicles . ”
What ’s more , the organization would give up for firm incident management .
“ We ’ll be collecting so much data that , in the case of an insurance policy claim or investigation , we ’ll know exactly what has happened , ” say Roy . “ We ’ll actually be able to wiretap into the real time data for a claim . ”
He adds that the public transit infrastructure can also be integrated with the CVP . For example , at a push - button crosswalk , the system can communicate with all transit that there ’s a footer on the road and that drivers need to be deliberate . It ’s a solution that will transfer many of the uncertainty found in unsafe condition . It may not relieve these conditions altogether , but it will make driving smarter and safer .
Like ego - driving vehicle , much still needs to pass before it becomes a reality . But it ’s being discussed and researched justly now , includingan exciting pilot project in Ann Arbor , Michiganthat includes the transit component . For the pilot film study , cars were equip with a turn of safety gadget , including a introductory safety subject matter ( BSM ) that circulate a subject matter ten times per arcsecond . The BSM alerts other nearby , similarly equipped fomite to the presence of the broadcast medium vehicle . ( paradigm : US Department of Transportation )
Active Traffic Monitoring
Another way to finagle over-crowding is by simply providing data to drivers . main road in the Greater Toronto Area , for example , are equip with sensing element locate about 500 meters apart .
“ As you ’re traveling on the highway , we are monitoring your focal ratio — not on an individual foundation , just the speeding of the traffic — in the cockcrow or during any of the peak hour , and we know at which speeds the vehicles are travel at unlike stretches , ” says Roy .
With this information , signs can inform drivers about estimated traveling times to certain destination en road . Roy say this information can comfort drivers ( though I ’m doubtful , as it can also serve to frustrate ) .
Additionally , participating traffic monitoring can be instructive . If a lane is not moving , for model , it can pre - warn driver and get them to move over . It can also work to boil down petty hit as a result , which typically come in the form of rear - remnant hit . ( prototype : AARoads )
Intelligent Road Marking
More conceptually , there ’s also the potential forintelligent road marking organization . Russian firm Razmetkus recently design an synergistic organisation that works by expose information for each driver individually , updating them about the dealings position , providing helpful tinge , and alerting them to likely risk . But rather than take the roads themselves convey the information ( a laughably expensive proposition ) , it would be more pragmatic to have a HUD on the windshield that conveys the precise same data . Relatedly , there ’s alsoglow - in - the - dark roadsto consider — something that ’s already in position along a 500 meter stretch of main road in the Netherlands .
This Intelligent Road Marking System Would Revolutionize Driving
In The Netherlands , There Are Now shine - in - the - Dark road
Smart GPS’s
GPS devices are come near all the time . Some can tip into the local traffic account and inform the driver of delays and route stoppages . In turn , the GPS can recommend an alternate route . This is a trend we can bear to continue ; the next several generation of GPS will feature even smarter features , include deeper integrating with the autonomous capacity of vehicles , along with SIRI - like voice - activated agency . We ’ll eventually be able to have actual conversation with our GPS ( or vehicle ) , working out the best route to a finish make the dealings conditions . ( simulacrum : Lucky Business / shutterstock )
Traffic Signal Coordination
Many of you will be intimate with this one , particularly those of you who exist in city where two - way street have been commute into one - way streets . San Francisco furnish an first-class example , as does Hamilton , Ontario . In Toronto , this can be seen along Adelaide and Richmond .
As Roy explain to me , signalize coordination work exceptionally well when traffic move in a one - way direction . This allows the signal lights to be coordinated in such a path that drivers can expect a long string of consecutive unripened Christ Within . At the same time , when two - lane streets are convert to one - fashion , parallel streets are converted to be one - way of life in the opposite focal point . This dramatically reduce stoppage time , and as a result , traffic congestion .
According to RAND , paired one - way street spiritual rebirth can increase travel speed by about 20 % and reduce travelling time by 20 % to 30 % . ( image : cozyta / shutterstock )
Reversible Lanes
Also sleep together as directional lanes , this is the practice of preferentially choose the guidance of lane current harmonize to the morning and evening peak hours . For example , by using overhead signal Light Within ( like the ruddy hybrid and green arrow along Jarvis street in Toronto ) , the capacity of a route can be increase in one centering and trim in the other look on the sentence of day . Some cities , like Auckland , New Zealand , use concrete barrier to physically delimitate the two-sided lanes . ( image : Toronto Star )
Ramp Metering
put dealings signals on highway on - ramps is another solution that ’s been implement in some regions .
“ The idea here is that you do n’t desire to disturb or obturate the traffic on the main road , ” Roy severalise me . “ What these signals are doing is allowing the vehicle to enter at a slow rate onto the highway . By delaying the drivers from the side streets , or behind the ramps , this appropriate the main road to move at a faster speeding . ”
Restricted Lane Changes
This dispirited - tech answer does a decent problem of observe the traffic flowing . By notice certain stretch of road or main road with solid non - passing line , driver are forestall from making unstable lane changes — specially along area where side survey are restrict , like farseeing bends .
High-occupancy Vehicle Lanes
It ’s approximate that 76 % of hoi polloi drive to work alone , and that only 10 % rideshare . For suburban commuters working in a city the lone driver figure is even worse , featuring rates as high as 82 % .
Also called commuter lanes , they ’re limit traffic lane reserved for multiple - occupancy vehicle , sometimes at meridian traveling times . HOV lane are normally created to increase average vehicle occupancy and person throughput with the goal of lose weight traffic over-crowding .
HOV lane has its critics , but there ’s also the potential for HOT lanes — high - occupancy bell lanes . harmonise to RAND , red-hot lane can maintain free - flux travel speeds ( ~60 to 65 mph or 95 to 105 kph ) during peak change of location hours while carrying up to twice the volume that congested general - use lanes do . They can also raise sufficient revenue to subsidize express - bus trading operations . ( image : MTO )
Mass Transit
in conclusion , Roy reminded me ofmass transportation system .
8 Awe - Inspiring Mass Transit Systems that change Their city
“ Despite all these technical result , transit is still one of the better way to assuage dealings conditions , peculiarly in urban center with car - based societies , ” he enjoin me . “ If you ’ve been to Europe , like London and Paris , you ’ll understand what I ’m saying . Think about a bus which has a capacity of about 50 masses . If the jitney is full , you ’ve read about 49 cars off the street , supplant it with one busbar . ”
Roy articulate we necessitate to promote transit , along with work - live - and - play conception — like living in the sphere where you work and even telecommuting .
“ If you build up an effective transit infrastructure , people are more likely to coiffe aside their railway car , ” he says .
Top image : examination / shutterstock
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