Audi is currently rolling out technology that allows its vehicles in the USA to communicate with traffic signals (a.k.a V2I -vehicle to infrastructure, not to get confused with V2V or vehicle to vehicle). The first phase will be rolled out in 5 to 7 cities although these have not been disclosed yet.
Traffic lights are an imperfect solution for an imperfect world. Drivers are required to stop at red lights while a row of cars crosses another that is green, increasing congestion and pollution while wasting energy and time.
Traffic lights are an imperfect solution for an imperfect world. Drivers are required to stop at red lights while a row of cars crosses another that is green, increasing congestion and pollution while wasting energy and time.
This idea is based on a scenario where sensor-laden vehicles pass through intersections by communicating and remaining at a safe distance from each other, rather than grinding to a halt at traffic lights. This approach based on slot-based intersections is flexible and can be designed to accommodate pedestrian and bicycle crossing with vehicular traffic.
The model provides a performance breakthrough: all safety requirements being equal, traffic efficiency is doubled with respect to current state-of-the-art traffic lights. With today's traffic volumes, queues would vanish and travel delays would be cut to almost zero.
The idea behind this approach was developed by different universities, including MIT (in conjunction with the Swiss Institute of Technology (ETHZ), and the Italian National Research Council (CNR)), and Texas, and it is shown in the following videos:
However, until technology arrives at that stage, it is still some years to come, which might be covered by developments such as Green Light Optimal Speed Advice (GLOSA), as shown in the ITS Europe Congress held recently in Glasgow.