MIT researchers publish study on traffic-light-free ‘smart intersection’

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS — Researchers at MIT have published a study outlining the basis for a potential traffic-light-free transportation design that, if developed, could allow twice as many cars to travel smoothly on the road.

The study, based on mathematical modeling, examines a scenario in which high-tech vehicles use sensors to remain a safe distance from each other as they move through a four-way intersection. By removing wait time caused by traffic lights, these so-called Slot-based Intersections (SIs) speed up traffic flow.

The theory is based on a “slower is faster” effect, when groups at slower rates have faster travel times. For example, a large group of people boarding a plane might cause a bottleneck effect, slowing down the process. However, a small group of people who aren’t rushing, and with each person keeping a distance from the other, is able to board much faster.

MIT researchers are proposing a similar system, where smart cars with the technology to maintain their distance from other cars can travel faster through intersections. And cars that anticipate traffic ahead can adjust speeds ahead of time to avoid causing a bottleneck effect, and maneuver through intersections faster.

Based on a model outlined by MIT researchers, there would be no use for traffic lights. Cars would enter intersections on slotting systems, adjusting their speeds accordingly. This allows the flow of traffic to continue, thereby decreasing travel time.

The paper, “Revisiting street intersections using slot-based systems,” appears in the journal “PLOS One.”
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