Intelligent Traffic Management for Smarter, Safer Transportation

Intelligent traffic management is one of the fastest-growing segments of the smart city market. According to Polaris Market research, in 2023, the intelligent traffic management system market reached just over $9 billion globally. Further, Polaris projects the global market to reach $23 billion by 2032.

At the most basic level, intelligent traffic management and intelligent transportation systems are designed to provide traffic managers with real-time and predictive insights about traffic flow speeds, congestion, and incidents. Through a combination of sensors – ranging from static sensors on roadways to CCTV cameras, to sensors within individual vehicles – and software, intelligent traffic management systems allow cities, towns, and/or municipalities to unlock a variety of benefits to make transportation more efficient, safer, and less congested.

Elements of Intelligent Traffic Management Systems

Traffic Sensors

All smart traffic management systems rely on various traffic sensors. These sensors range from simple thermometers and temperature sensors to radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and intelligent CCTV cameras.

Sensor and Video Processing

Sensors and cameras gather a tremendous amount of data, so much that it can be overwhelming to an individual for processing. Thus, the majority of the sensor and video data is analyzed in real time via machine learning (ML) or artificial intelligence (AI). The rapid data interpretation allows traffic managers to immediately detect incidents like vehicle crashes, roadblocks, or traffic spikes as they happen and transmit alerts to the intelligent traffic management system in seconds. In addition to transmitting alerts, a whole host of follow-up actions can be pre-programmed. These actions include dispatching emergency services, adjusting traffic signal controls in the area, re-routing public transportation, and notifying affected drivers.

One of the main applications utilizing sensor and video data is smart traffic light systems. These systems integrate sensor and connected video monitoring technologies to monitor and track wait times at intersection, vehicle speeds, and/or pedestrian traffic. Intelligent traffic light systems generally incorporate AI and/or ML processes to enable computer vision and object recognition.

Predictive Maintenance and Predictive Traffic Planning

Data collected from smart traffic sensors can be analyzed to determine how frequently roadways are used, the daily quantity of vehicles at specific intersections, and how long it takes to travel at different times. Proper use of this data allows traffic managers to locate troublesome areas faster and predict where traffic congestion is likely to occur under certain conditions, such as during a heavy snowfall, after planned events, or due to an accident. Furthermore, this data allows intelligent traffic management systems to generate predictive models, making it possible to estimate the capacity of your traffic network and model different response scenarios to day-to-day occurrences and unplanned events. In addition to tracking and predicting the movement of vehicles and traffic, the data allows cities and municipalities to stay ahead of physical infrastructure issues and proactively address roadway maintenance before it can cause a problem.

Dynamic Toll Pricing and Collection

Dynamic toll road pricing is an effective way to manage and mitigate traffic congestion, especially during peak traffic hours. Adjusting toll rates based on real-time traffic conditions – which are gathered and measured from the various sensors listed above – allows traffic managers to influence and guide traffic patterns, encouraging drivers to choose alternative routes, alternate modes of transportation, or adjust their travel times. This not only reduces congestion but also enhances overall traffic efficiency. These dynamic tolls are generally collected via RFID transponders like E-ZPass.

Sealevel designers and engineers have more than 35 years of experience developing hardware solutions for traffic management applications. These applications range from automotive manufacturing equipment to electric bus charge stations, to fleet management, to toll and traffic management systems.