A Simple Method To Dramatically Decrease Traffic Congestion & Why Cities Aren’t Using It
If there was an easy way to cut the amount of time that you spend sitting in traffic, wouldn’t you expect the government to find a way to use it? Synchronizing traffic signals so that people can get to where they’re going with a minimum of stopping is something that everyone thinks that cities are already doing. Unfortunately, this is not the case at all.
In the recently released 2007 National Traffic Signal Report Card, transportation agencies received a grade of D for traffic signals. This is an improvement from last year’s D-minus, but it’s still unacceptable given the clear benefits of traffic signal synchronization:
Decreased Congestion
Traffic flows more smoothly when vehicles aren’t forced to stop at every intersection.
Improved Gas Mileage
Acceleration uses up gas quickly. Less stopping and starting means that vehicles will get better gas mileage.
Fewer Road Rage Incidents
Being stuck in traffic makes everyone frustrated. If traffic flows smoothly the frustration level will drop dramatically.
So, with all these benefits, why aren’t cities properly synchronizing their traffic signals?
Sadly, the answer comes down to money. Traffic tickets, red-light cameras, speed, cameras, vehicle seizures, and other punitive measures all bring in revenue to the city. In contrast, traffic signal synchronization costs the city money in engineering fees. With cities developing new ways to make money from traffic violations everyday (automatic license plate recognition, etc.), it’s clear where their focus lies. It’s time for cities to do the right thing and make traffic signal synchronization a priority.
Tell us what you think. Add a comment to this post.
Other Related Articles
To change the picture next to your comments, sign up at Gravatar.com. Each picture is associated with a particular email address. (This is a third-party service not affiliated with NMA.)
I’ve seen many cities that do REVERSE synchronization: If you drive the speed limit when the light turns green, you can guarantee that the next intersection will turn red AS SOON AS YOU GET THERE. If you speed by at least 10 mph, you’ll get through as it turns yellow.