Forum: Eliminate ‘dead time’ to improve traffic flow
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I appreciate the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) Green Link Determining (GLIDE) system, which aims to monitor and adjust traffic light timings in real time. However, based on my observations, there remains significant room for fine-tuning to achieve truly expeditious traffic flow.
Drawing from my professional background in air traffic control, I believe traffic management must prioritise two pillars: safety first, followed by expeditious flow. While safety measures are robust, the flow often feels neglected at several key junctions.
I would like to highlight three areas for improvement.
Eliminating “dead time”: I frequently encounter red lights where I am forced to wait despite there being no vehicles passing through the perpendicular junction for several seconds. An optimised GLIDE system should sense these gaps, and cycle the lights more dynamically to prevent unnecessary idling.
Synchronisation: Take the 800m stretch of Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 (between Bukit Batok East Avenue 5 and Bukit Batok West Avenue 7), which contains six traffic lights. As these are T-junctions, they are ideal candidates for “green wave” synchronisation. I have seen such systems implemented efficiently in places like Hokkaido and Taiwan, ensuring that motorists hitting the first green light can clear the entire stretch smoothly.
Data-driven priority versus assumptions: In past correspondence with LTA, I noted a prevailing assumption that main roads should always take priority over side roads. However, actual traffic volume fluctuates. A sophisticated GLIDE system should drop static assumptions, and rely on real-time sensor data to determine which direction requires a longer green-light duration at any given moment.
As Singapore moves towards a safer road environment – with more pedestrian crossings and the removal of discretionary right turns – the window for vehicle movement has narrowed. This makes it even more critical that traffic management systems are fine-tuned to ensure that when it is time for vehicles to move, they do so as efficiently as possible.
Yeo Eng Huat
