this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2023
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My concern is this means traffic light removal which will impact public safety.
I think this is more about having the lights change more intelligently. I could be wrong though.
But more intelligently for who? Faster traffic flow is not an unadulterated good. In my view we probably want areas with many intersections to have slower traffic, not faster. Faster traffic means less safety, especially for non-car users and could trigger induced demand, eliminating any GHG benefits.
It all depends on the model and what the inputs and goals are. I’ve noticed that signals optimally timed for vehicle traffic are often more difficult and dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians.
I don't think this involves faster traffic. Speed limits would still be there. I think they're trying to reduce idling. Idling engines are wasteful source of pollution.
For everything in this world there are trade-offs a win for someone might be a detriment to someone else. That's just the way of the world.
Better public transportation would be good. Cycling and pedestrian friendly cities & towns would also be good. To me those are not connected to this. Those are better addressed by government alone. If these things are important to you I'd recommend that you go to a city/town council meeting and make your voice heard. To me this is specifically about trying to improve traffic flow and reduce pollution.
Keep in mind that a lot of traffic collisions with pedestrians or other vehicles happen when lights change and cars need to (suddenly) slow down.
Person A might slam on their brakes at the first sight of a red light. Person B make floor it to make the light. Put person A and B in the same lane and they might hit each other. Or in different lanes person B might blast through the red light right as a pedestrian started crossing.
Predictability is the most important thing. Unfortunately I’m not sure how much I trust an AI to be predictable.
Also when I’m walking and when I’m driving I want as little intersections as possible. There are other ways to slow down traffic besides awful intersections.