Managing traffic congestion by using traffic control

There is an increasing determination to reduce congestion and other problems associated with the use of the motor car in cities; by encouraging mode shifts. The process of achieving beneficial changes in modal split between car and bus would perhaps be much accelerated if buses were now readily able to provide a fast and frequent service. Currently this ability is compromised by congestion. There are many possible methods of reducing congestion and improving the quality of public transport; some of these are expensive and long-term while others are comparatively low-cost and immediate. This paper gives an overview of some current research aimed at producing a low-cost method of: (i) reducing congestion, and (ii) managing congestion so as to reduce, particularly, the effects of congestion on public transport. The method is simply to use existing, and perhaps a few extra, traffic signals in a novel manner. (6 pages)