#271 Smart Traffic Lights
Baltimore has some real traffic problems. Accidents are incredibly common, and, especially during rush hour, drivers can get stuck for hours in city traffic.
Location
Across Baltimore City
Timeline
Jan 18, 2021
Today
Sep 26, 2019
Created
Why it matters
While bad traffic is a serious annoyance to everyone involved, it can be a matter of life and death when emergency services vehicles are involved. Residents in critical condition need to know that they can expect help as soon as humanly possible.
What does "good" look like?
Traffic lights are more responsive and customizable to account for unexpected and/or emergency situations.
How could technology solve this?
In April 2019, San Diego started soliciting help to create "Smart Traffic Lights" for their city. If we undertook a similar initiative in Baltimore, we could enable traffic lights to respond immediately to emerging and/or critical situations, clearing a path for emergency services vehicles and even adapting as needed in the face of unexpected traffic congestion. Sources: https://www.techwire.net/news/city-seeking-tech-solutions-for-3-urban-problems.html