Intelligent Traffic Light Controlling Algorithms Using Vehicular Networks

In this paper, we propose an intelligent traffic light controlling (ITLC) algorithm. ITLC is intended to schedule the phases of each isolated traffic light efficiently. This algorithm considers the real-time traffic characteristics of the competing traffic flows at the signalized road intersection. Moreover, we have adopted the ITLC algorithm to design a traffic scheduling algorithm for an arterial street scenario; we have thus proposed an arterial traffic light (ATL) controlling algorithm. In the ATL controlling algorithm, the intelligent traffic lights installed at each road intersection coordinate with each other to generate an efficient traffic schedule for the entire road network. We report on the performance of ITLC and ATL algorithms for several scenarios using NS-2. From the experimental results, we infer that the ITLC algorithm reduces, at each isolated traffic light, the queuing delay and increases the traffic fluency by 30% compared with the online algorithm (OAF) traffic light scheduling algorithm. The latter algorithm achieved the best performance when compared with the OAF traffic light scheduling algorithm. On the other hand, the ATL controlling algorithm increases the traffic fluency of traveling vehicles at arterial street coordinations by 70% more than the random and separate traffic light scheduling system. Furthermore, compared with the previously introduced traffic scheduling ART-SYS, the ATL controlling algorithm decreases the average delay at each traffic light by 10%.