4 Examples of Technology from around the world for Intelligent Transportation Solutions
As technology becomes more advanced and digitalization is improved every day, expectations for travel are changing at the same rate. Driverless cars, traffic lights adjusted according to vehicle flow, and smart sidewalks providing public WiFi access are just some of the examples that make transportation in cities smarter.
In order to benefit from technology in order to reduce costs and resource consumption and improve quality of life, the ''smart city'' concept continues to be adopted in many parts of the world and services identified with this definition continue to be implemented.
Although not yet at the desired level, these smart transportation solutions, which have started to be implemented in various cities in the world, are inspiring.
- Adjustable Traffic Lights
Traditional traffic lights use timers to determine when the lights should change. While these timers are mostly effective, they do not allow the light timing cycle in cities to be adjusted when traffic levels change, resulting in traffic congestion. In smart cities, classical traffic lights will be replaced by lights that can be adjusted according to the traffic situation.
Adjustable traffic lights currently make up less than 1% of the existing traffic lights in the US, according to a report by the US Department of Transportation. However, the aim is for this rate to be increased over time. South Korean company, BlueSignal, provides adjustable traffic lights that use data such as average driving speeds, risks, and traffic rates. The CEO of BlueSignal says that their aim is to create a solution to help reduce the social costs of traffic congestion and create a safer and higher-quality driving environment.
- Intelligent Pedestrian Safety
In the USA, smart solutions for pedestrians comes first in urban transportation. As cities become smarter, and begin to be equipped with more pedestrian and bike paths, focusing more on pedestrian safety has become a vital point in smart city designs.
The local government in Oregon, Portland has collaborated with an initiative called Rapid Flow to prevent pedestrian accidents using an artificial intelligence supported system that automatically optimizes traffic conditions. This system can communicate with nearby intersections and connected smart vehicles, and alert drivers.
- Bike Solutions
Bicycles as well as pedestrians constitute a significant part of transportation in smart cities. Many cities are building extensive bicycle paths both to preserve nature by reducing emissions and to minimize traffic rates.
Bicing, a Barcelona-based initiative, has launched an application that allows people to access more than 400 bike stations through their mobile devices. Users can access both electric and classic bicycles through the application. Users, who earn points with every trip, can challenge their friends, or win various prizes with the points they collect.
- Smart Corridors
Smart corridors, that have started to be used in some parts of the world, use technologies to warn drivers of possible accidents ahead, how long it will take to reach a specific destination, upcoming weather events and other events that could impede driving. These systems, which enable drivers to plan their journeys in advance, also help to ease traffic.
According to a report prepared by State Tech, some states in the US, such as Wyoming, are using V2I (vehicle-to-infrastructure) technologies to help vehicles get through congested and dangerous areas safely. Drivers registered for this program are sent warnings about safety, weather, and road conditions via 75 short-range communication devices placed at various points.
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