Countries around the world are beginning to realize the importance of smart transportation, smart city planning, and management.
Transportation forms an important component of such planning. Smart transportation involves rethinking how mobility works in a city with the goal of reducing traffic congestion, expediting emergency response, improving on-road safety, etc. by leveraging the power of data.
In this article, we’ll provide a complete overview of how smart transportation can help make your city smarter.
What is Smart Transportation?
Smart transportation involves using emerging technology (such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, and internet-of-things) to make it safer, less costly, and more convenient to make your way around a city and its surrounding highways. The benefits of smart transportation are not just relevant for the commuter but also for the city’s management.
For example, smart transportation systems can be used to improve the traffic signals in a city. Rather than relying on old-fashioned pre-timed traffic signals, these signal can now use historical data and AI to understand traffic flows in real-time and make adjustments accordingly. With smart transportation, there will be no need to sit at a traffic light for several minutes even though the traffic is clear.
Smart transportation is already being implemented in cities across the United States (such as New York City, Austin, and Denver).
What are the Benefits of Smart Transportation?
This is how smart transportation can help:
- Safer Transportation
- Minimize Cost
- Green Transportation
- Real-Time Visibility for Traffic Management
- Smart Parking Solutions
- Efficient Transportation
Read more about it below.
Smart Transportation is Safer
Both vehicles and infrastructure (such as an intersection) can be fitted with smart autonomous systems that help respond to accidents by reducing manual input. These systems collect data of their surroundings and operate on their own. If an accident occurs, relevant data (such as location and impact details) will be shared with first responders who can then take action.
Smart Transportation reduces Cost
Since there are fewer accidents, there will be less need for vehicle repair. Smart transportation increases the overall efficiency of cities.
- Commuters and fleets can make use of preventative maintenance thanks to connected vehicle data and smart vehicle signals which can preempt problems and suggest maintenance actions.
- Further, they can enjoy reduced energy consumption thanks to less congestion caused by optimization through connected vehicle data and by managing vehicle fuel consumption.
- Lastly, there will be less need for private car ownership thanks to better public transportation through data collection.
Smart Transportation is Green Transportation
Everything we do in the future needs to be environmentally friendly. This includes city planning. Smart transportation through data analytics can help cities reduce greenhouse gas, and emissions by increasing the use of public transport, reducing congestion, and promoting the use of electric vehicles.
Smart Transportation allows for Real-Time Visibility for Traffic Management
Thanks to connected vehicle data, internet-of-things, and 5G connectivity, concerned officials can quickly know about any areas experiencing traffic difficulty or any issues affecting commuters or city-wide transportation as a whole. They can then forward their insight to emergency responders, traffic policemen, and other agencies.
Smart Transportation provides Smart Parking Solutions
Anyone who has ever driven a vehicle knows the pain that comes from trying to find a parking spot. Schools, events, restaurants, and malls, are all notorious for eating up parking spaces. Smart transportation systems can help city planners allocate parking spots more efficiently and also designate more parking spots where they are needed more. It can also help with picking up parking fees. 11% of the parking spaces around the world are already smart and are on track to reach 16% in 2023.
Smart Transportation is more efficient
Thanks to connected vehicle data, city officials can quickly get to work making the transportation of their city more efficient. They can allocate better public transport corridors, they can assign better public transport stops, they can decide where more resources are needed or if resources need to be cut, and the list goes on.
Top Cities Using Smart Transportation Technology
These are just a few of them:
New York City – The Big Apple Shows the Way
New York City was never a laggard when it came to efficiency, however, they are taking things to the next level. They have already installed thousands of cameras at their busy intersections and are using this data to optimize traffic flows. They are also installing sensors in cars to make transportation more efficient in the city and to improve safety. Further, the city is also experimenting with connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) to change the way transportation works.
Singapore – Small is Big
Singapore has always had problems optimizing the small land area that it has available. For cities like Singapore, using smart transportation becomes even more essential, and they have caught on quickly. The city is deploying autonomous vehicles, CETRAN, contactless fare payment, on-demand shuttles, and connected vehicle data and analytics, to help welcome the city to the future.
Paris – Going Green
Paris is making waves by improving its infrastructure to improve non-motorized transport. Further, the city is attempting to replace its high-emission bus fleet with smart electric vehicles.
Challenges in Smart Transportation
Here are some of the common challenges faced by cities:
High Congestion
As cities develop, the number of cars on the road also grows. The presence of public transportation is not enough of a solution since people prefer private car ownership. Further, public transport systems are too inefficient and inconvenient to serve as a real alternative. This is where connected car data can help by forwarding relevant data to concerned personnel and authorities.
Traffic Accidents
The United States witnesses one of the highest traffic-related deaths in the world every year. Accidents can happen for several reasons such as distracted drivers, faulty infrastructure, lack of traffic oversight, and so on.
High Carbon Emissions
Every city in the world is focusing on reducing air pollution. The carbon emission from vehicles is not just harmful for the environment, it is extremely harmful for health and we now have the data that proves it. A possible solution is to use connected vehicle data to track vehicle emissions and to offer drivers incentives to limit these emissions.
How can CerebrumX Smart Transportation Solutions Help?
CerebrumX develops smart Transportation technology based on data analytics and artificial intelligence which can help cities overcome incessant challenges and problems. Here are some of the ways we can help:
Better Traffic Flow and Management
CerebrumX can help rethink a city’s approach to public transportation. It can make them much more efficient and much more likely to be used by the city’s residents. For example, we can help to detect where bus stops should be placed, what the bus timings should be, how much the fare should be, which route should be taken, and so on. It can do so by collecting vehicular data on:
- Location
- Speed
- Direction of Movement
This vehicular data can be shared with traffic controllers to improve traffic flow. The kind of connected car data that can be collected has high coverage, high quality, and increased accuracy.
Fewer Accidents
Our solutions can help both prevent accidents from occurring and also manage road accidents in case they occur. We prevent accidents by making use of smart sensors which can be attached to vehicles and road infrastructure. We achieve results by collecting data on:
- Airbag Status
- Collision Severity
- Event Location
Greener Cities
Smart cities promote the use of electric vehicles which can greatly reduce the carbon footprint of a city. The reduction in emissions can help people breathe easily. It also helps the environment.
For example, once the traffic in a city consists of electric vehicles, we can use data to find appropriate locations for charging stations. Connected vehicle data is revolutionizing smart city transportation by collecting data on vehicle usage trends, movement schedules, planned maintenance, battery performance, etc.
Wrapping Up
Smart transportation is the future. Cities around the world have started experimenting with emerging technology and the results are clear. As cities develop, the need for smart infrastructure that utilizes data technology and AI to augment mobility will only be greater. Get started with us today