Big-data empowered traffic signal control could reduce urban carbon emission - Nature Communications
www.nature.com
Big-data empowered traffic signal control in China can reduce vehicle trip times, creating potential reduction of 31.73 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 emissions annually and US$31.8 billion benefits per year.
  • shalafi@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    2 months ago

    In my little Southern US town the lights seems to work logically and traffic flows nicely, noticeably so. I’m never sitting at a light screaming, “Oh FFS turn!” or “Why did that light change and there are no cars?!”

    Traffic only gets a bit thick on the main road in late afternoons. Not much to be done there, it’s a major east-west thoroughfare connecting several towns.

    Have no idea how they’re doing this. Sensors I’m guessing? Seems like we’re too poor for fancy civil engineering like that and I’m sure we can’t afford what the article talks about.

    Anyone know how that might work?

    • daq@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      1·
      2 months ago

      Sensors are cheap and have been around for a long time, but I’m going to guess the number one reason is the small part. Fewer cars = less traffic.

      I’ve actually watched a city I visit regularly grow over about 20 years and it went from them having zero traffic to Los Angeles style traffic jams. This is despite their best efforts like making extra wide roads, using roundabouts, etc.