PILOT STUDY OF THE AUTOMATIC CONTROL OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS BY A GENERAL PURPOSE ELECTRONIC COMPUTER

A DEMONSTRATION STUDY OF ONE YEAR WAS CONDUCTED IN METROPOLITAN TORONTO ON TRAFFIC SIGNALS REMOTELY OPERATED BY A GENERAL PURPOSE ELECTRONIC COMPUTER IN A COMPLETELY AUTOMATIC, TRAFFIC RESPONSIVE MANNER. THE PROPOSED SYSTEM WOULD USE A MODERN ELECTRONIC COMPUTER TO PROVIDE CENTRALIZED COORDINATED CONTROL OF THE ENTIRE SYSTEM OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS. A NETWORK OF TRAFFIC DETECTORS WOULD PROVIDE THE COMPUTER WITH A CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF INFORMATION ON TRAFFIC MOVEMENTS TO ENABLE THE COMPUTER TO CALCULATE THE BEST SEQUENCES OF SIGNAL CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE NETWORK. THE SYSTEM OFFERED A BUILT-IN FACILITY FOR STUDYING AND IMPROVING THE METHOD OF CONTROL, AND FOR MAKING LONG-RANGE TRAFFIC PLANS. THE MAJOR ASPECTS OF THE STUDY ARE SUMMARIZED. A WIDE RANGE OF TRAFFIC SITUATIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED IN THE TEST AREA, SOME OF WHICH ARE AS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AS ANY IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA. THE PILOT STUDY DEMONSTRATED THAT WITH AN ELECTRONIC COMPUTER AS THE BASIS OF CONTROL, A POWERFUL TRAFFIC SIGNAL SYSTEM CAN BE REALIZED THAT IS PRACTICAL FOR CITY-WIDE INSTALLATION.