Shanghai plans to install more intelligent traffic lights near
on-ramps for elevated roads this year, a city official said
Wednesday.
Intelligent traffic signs will also be installed on other
streets to guide traffic as an increasing number of construction
sites have popped up downtown.
"We want to provide better guidance to drivers," Qian Jianguo, a
Shanghai Engineering Administrative Bureau official, said
Wednesday.
He said the bureau has already installed intelligent traffic
lights near on-ramps to the elevated road near Wuyi Road. It also
plans to install them at the Inner Ring Road, South-North Elevated
Road and Yan'an Elevated Road.
Regular traffic lights function under preset programming, but an
intelligent traffic light changes according to actual traffic
flow.
The bureau uses elevated monitors and sensory loops to capture
traffic conditions around the city and sends necessary information
back to headquarters for display use.
The bureau and traffic police work together to keep the system
operational.
Qian said an intelligent light turns red shortly after an
accident, thus prevent more vehicles from entering the elevated
road.
Traffic police often direct traffic during busy periods, but the
computerized lights are expected to be more efficient, officials
said.
(Shanghai Daily February 15, 2008)