Why technology, not new roads, could ease congestion
Technology that promises to smooth out traffic
It includes software and sophisticated monitoring devices that can be used to predict trouble areas or times of heavy congestion, and vehicle data-sharing capability that could eventually allow cars to exchange info with other cars and with organizations that monitor traffic, like the RTC, to reroute around accidents and bottlenecks.
There are smart traffic lights and even light poles, which would be fitted with a range of sensors and monitors to do everything from detecting gunshots to activating flashers and message boards at the lights if a car were approaching too fast or coming the wrong way down a one-way street.
It’s designed to cut down on vehicle miles driven on roads by improving traffic flow and paving the way for a future in which more drivers travel in autonomous vehicles available on a subscription or per-ride basis than in private cars.
The upshot of the meeting: Changes — seismic ones — are coming.
To help prepare for them, Cortez Masto has introduced legislation to expand a grant program for cities to make technological upgrades in their traffic infrastructure and transportation systems. Under Cortez Masto’s proposal, 5 percent of the Republicans’ tax reform plan would be set aside to provide up to $80 million for each of two large or mid-sized cities and up to $20 million for two rural communities or regional partnerships.
