Coordinated traffic lights
Is there any city in the world with well-timed traffic lights over a large grid?
I just want to usually hit 10 green lights in a row when going above 40 mph for all 4 directions (during peak traffic time).
It doesn't seem like it would be that difficult (I would start by outlawing left turns), but I'm always frustrated in California. So, where do city engineers do better? I think the government underappreciates the morale/environmental/time benefits of reducing traffic jams.
Best Answer
It's called a Green Wave. Co-ordinating it on two-way streets with varying distances between the junctions is tricky.
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What do you mean by signal coordination?
Signal coordination is the linking together of consecutive traffic signals along a road to minimise stops and delays. It is important to prevent blockages between closely-spaced intersections or when traffic becomes congested.What are the 3 traffic lights?
Red light on: This tells drivers to stop. Green light on: This means the driver can start driving or keep driving. Yellow light on: This tells drivers to stop when it is safe to, because the light is about to turn red.How does a traffic light control system work?
Dynamic traffic light control systems work by adapting their timing to current traffic conditions. They use a detector, which can communicate with the traffic light control system to let them know about current traffic. When an intersection is jammed, they'll adjust timing to let traffic flow better.Who controls the timing of traffic lights?
A traffic signal is typically controlled by a controller mounted inside a cabinet. Some electro-mechanical controllers are still in use (New York City still had 4,800 as of 1998, though the number is lower now due to the prevalence of the signal controller boxes). However, modern traffic controllers are solid state.Traffic Signal Coordination and Verification (Traffic Signal Synchronization)
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Answer 2
Well, I'm not sure there's a ranking anywhere, but Manhattan would seem to do pretty well, and there's evidence to back it up.
NY Daily News reported that an uber driver hit a 'record' 240 green lights in a row driving in Manhattan, and recorded the event as well.
Answer 3
It is mathematically impossible to do even for both directions at once, as you cannot control the distances between traffic lights: the 'green waves' need to travel with you, at the same speed, and at the same time the ones for the opposite direction needs to travel too, but in the opposite direction. They simply will not hit each other exactly at all crossings, which makes it useless. Unless you want all cross traffic to stop for ten minutes.
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