Dynamic Control of Traffic Signals using Traffic Data from Google Maps and Road Cameras

Abstract

Traffic congestion is a condition that occurs due to over usage of roads and results in increased waiting time, slower speeds and increased vehicle queuing. Every year billions of dollars are lost due to time wasted by waiting at traffic signals. In this paper, the problem of dynamic control of traffic signals using traffic data obtained from Google Maps and Road Cameras is explored. The traffic signal control algorithm described will adjust both the ordering of different lights in real time as well as the duration of each of them. The ordering (sequence) and length of each traffic signal light for a period of time will be affected by factors such as traffic volume, waiting time and vehicle queuing characteristics. The results from the above algorithm’s simulations are compared to the average waiting times the vehicles experience in the case of static traffic signals which employ a fixed duration and sequence policy for each of the colors of the traffic signal.