Self-organized traffic control

Abstract

In this paper we propose and present preliminary results on the migration of traffic lights as roadside-based infrastructures to in-vehicle virtual signs supported only by vehicle- to-vehicle communications. We design a virtual traffic light protocol that can dynamically optimize the flow of traffic in road intersections without requiring any roadside infrastructure. Elected vehicles act as temporary road junction infrastructures and broadcast traffic light messages that are shown to drivers through in-vehicle displays. This approach renders signalized control of intersections truly ubiquitous, which significantly increases the overall traffic flow. We pro- vide compelling evidence that our proposal is a scalable and cost-effective solution to urban traffic control.