The economic impacts of traffic signals

摘要

From being a fairly uncontroversial method of traffic control, traffic signals have become increasingly seen as the motorist's bete noir. Campaigns have sprung up around the country to have traffic signals switched off and removed.rnHowever, there has been little attention paid to the economic impacts of traffic signals. Can we quantify that benefit and what are the implications for highway authorities of knowing the economic impact of installing or removing traffic signals?rnTo inform this debate Greater London Authority Economics commissioned Colin Buchanan to undertake research into the economic benefits and disbenefits of traffic signals. This article provides an overview of that research.