Effective, Automated Traffic Signal Control and Retiming Needed to Relief China Urban Congestion

摘要

Significant development has been made, in the last decades, in deploying the foundation of urban Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) by many operating agencies throughout Asia. These include various public transport, fleet management systems, vehicular/pedestrian detector systems, signal controllers, communication systems, and information exchange platforms. However, there is an immediate need, throughout the Asia and particular in China, to elevate the urban transport and operational practice into the next level by maximizing and integrating the capabilities of the infrastructure/system/equipment/personnel available. Since most cities/counties are now well equipped with new generation of control centers, traffic controllers, operational staffs, and domestic capabilities, the potential fuel consumption and emissions can be significant. As has been well demonstrated in USA, such as in California during 1970s, in Texas during 1980s, in Florida during 1990s, significantly benefits can yield the benefits of 20% travel time saving, 15% stops saving, and 12-18% fuel saving simply by retiming the existing traffic signal timing plans at the various local intersections, arterial streets, and downtown networks with updated traffic demands, traffic signal control strategies, timing parameters, and updated plans to provide updated and smoother operations. This paper discussed an Innovative Real-time, Video-Image Based, Real-time Traffic Adaptive Signal System, installed, operational, and proven successful in LiuZhou, GuangXi, China since early 2009 demonstrated the endless possibilities to address the Congestion Relief. Various implementation design guidelines and education packages are available in the United States and Asia as the starting point education/training, implementation guidelines, performance measures, and congestion management needed in the emerging economy.