A linear programming approach for adaptive synchronization of traffic signals

As traffic congestion during rush hours is a growing problem for most cities, there is an increasing need for more effective management of traffic signal control and traffic assignment systems. We present here a new adaptive system based on a linear programming model for the signal‐control problem. The objective is to minimize the total length of the queues of vehicles waiting at each intersection. The model is based on traffic information provided by real‐time sensors installed at each intersection. In order to compare the performance of our program with the current scheduling designed by the transit office of Buenos Aires city, we used a traffic simulation system and real traffic flow data of two pilot areas of the city. Preliminary results are very promising.