UM News reports on my colleague Henry Liu's new SMART Signal Technologies startup: University of Minnesota startup to improve traffic flow on congested roads:
"Based on research from the University of Minnesota, SMART Signal Technologies, Inc., will commercialize a system to better predict and manage the flow of traffic on roads controlled by traffic lights. The system could potentially cut down on traffic congestion and help drivers save both time and fuel.Using data from existing traffic signal equipment, the system accurately calculates queue length at signalized intersections. These data, collected in real time and archived in a database, will allow cities across the state to better mediate the flow of traffic at peak times using real time performance measures provided by the system."
I have talked about this before. I hope it gets widely deployed, what we don't know about travel times arterials in real-time is embarrassing.
