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

  • Weathering the elements: how weather affects the network
    July 29, 2013
    Weather-related problems can render cost-cutting counter productive, according to CommScope’s Philip Sorrells. When severe weather conditions make headlines every winter, motorists and travellers seem willing to accept the impact on the trains and roads and yet take for granted that the communications networks will continue uninterrupted. They often appear far more upset that the information system does not give them an update on road conditions, train services or bus arrival times than they are about the a
  • Ho Chi Minh City ‘must invest in transportation system’
    November 21, 2014
    Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) could generate economic benefits of US$1.4 billion by investing in making its transportation system more resilient in extreme weather conditions, a study released by Siemens and consulting firm Arup today shows. Siemens and the Arup prepared the study, to show how intelligent infrastructure can assist cities in addressing the increased demand and at the same time offer better protection of their transport networks against extreme weather events. Calculations based on a review o
  • New York's award-winning traffic control system
    February 28, 2013
    A comprehensive ITS strategy in New York built on a system of key building blocks has been crowned with an IRF award for the city’s Midtown in Motion adaptive control system. Jon Masters reviews New York’s ITS modernisation plan as the city looks to the next phase of expansion. In January this year the International Road Federation (IRF) presented TransCore and the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) with the IRF Global Road Achievement Award. This was for deployment of New York’s Midtown in
  • Monitoring during construction reveals benefits of new expressway
    June 6, 2014
    David Crawford reports on how the authorities in New Zealand are using Bluetooth technology to monitor the effects of a new expressway as it is being constructed. New Zealand Highway Agency (NZHA) is using Bluetooth-based vehicle detection to assess the impact of its biggest road building project as the various sections are completed. The large-scale deployment of a Bluetooth-based vehicle detection system is making substantial contributions to traffic data needs in progressing the new Waikato Expressway, a