Skip to main content

Smart city traffic systems ‘to reduce congestion by 2019’

A new report from Juniper Research forecasts that smart city traffic management and parking projects will reduce cumulative global emissions in the order of 164 million metric tonnes of CO2 between 2014 and 2019 - equivalent to the annual emissions produced by 35 million vehicles. Not only will this benefit the environment, but it will also significantly impact the quality of city dwellers' lives, with some 700 million automobiles projected to be on city roads by 2019. The report, Smart Cities: Strategie
January 14, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
A new report from 7194 Juniper Research forecasts that smart city traffic management and parking projects will reduce cumulative global emissions in the order of 164 million metric tonnes of CO2 between 2014 and 2019 - equivalent to the annual emissions produced by 35 million vehicles. Not only will this benefit the environment, but it will also significantly impact the quality of city dwellers' lives, with some 700 million automobiles projected to be on city roads by 2019.

The report, Smart Cities: Strategies, Energy, Emissions & Cost Savings 2014-2019, found that high levels of city traffic congestion combined with advances in Internet of Things sensors and software solutions has driven plans to reduce high traffic levels through smart initiatives.

The report argues that the establishment of a sensor-networked and monitored city communications infrastructure, efficiently phasing traffic lights, and providing real-time guidance to drivers, can aid significantly in reducing congestion. Furthermore, digitally monitored parking spaces able to dynamically alter prices according to available spaces help control time spent cruising for parking.

Additionally, the report found that while purpose-built smart cities, such as Masdar in Abu Dhabi and Songdo in South Korea, can be considered a technological success, the benefits have not yet been fully realised owing to lack of citizen participation.

"Cooperation between all parties, as we have seen in Amsterdam for example, is essential" added report author Steffen Sorrell. "Furthermore, cities need standards and open data to avoid information roadblocks."

Other key findings include the fact that smart grids will dramatically reduce energy consumption in cities through rapid smart meter deployment and intelligent distribution automation. In addition, smart street lighting is also expected to produce significant cost savings, aided by the fall in LED fixture costs. Smart networked control systems will further add value.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Travel data critical to traffic management, traveller information
    January 31, 2012
    The ability to bundle together travel data from several discrete sources and fuse it to give a more comprehensive overview of events to stakeholders is the key aim of Viajeo, which is conducting trials in several cities around the world. Here, Ertico's Yanying Li writes about the project in more detail
  • Alliance Traffic Systems shows roadside alerts solution
    April 17, 2024
    A faster, less expensive way of alerting motorists to approaching dangers is being demonstrated by Abu Dhabi-based Alliance Traffic Systems.
  • Navya to launch self-driving electric shuttle service in Abu Dhabi project
    October 26, 2018
    Navya’s self-driving electric shuttle will operate as a daily mobility service for a planned city project in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The Autonom shuttle will link parking areas in Masdar City with its main podium. Navya and Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport have customised the shuttle to mitigate the effects of extreme heat and humidity on battery performance. They also carried out health and safety tests to ensure the safety of passengers and pedestrians. Autonom can c
  • Growing use of PC-based systems for urban traffic control
    February 1, 2012
    Siemens Mobility's Mark Bodger discusses the growing use of PC-based systems for urban traffic control. Across the ITS sector, there is a common trend of taking traffic and travel management out of the hands of bespoke solutions, realising the use of common, open-source technologies and solutions and enjoying all the attendant economies of scale and ease of use which that implies.