Nowadays, urban traffic congestion has become a permanent part of life in big cities. In addition to the negative environmental effects of traffic congestion and immense financial costs due to delays and the increase in fuel consumption, the life quality of individuals is influenced due to e.g. stress, and idle time behind red traffic lights. Congestion may also effect the safety by increasing the risk of accidents. As a remedy, methodological improvements along with advanced technological developments in communication systems, driver assistance systems, and also automated vehicles have turned the spotlight on more efficient use of the existing infrastructure. In the literature, this issue has been tackled independently from two different points of view, corresponding to two main players with a key role for mobility in urban networks: traffic lights and vehicles. Traffic signals serve the overall traffic flow efficiency while driver-assistance systems in vehicles serve the individual drivers’ interests. The aim of this project was to make traffic lights and vehicles work together and Coordinate for Efficient and Green Urban Mobility (CEGUM).
By offering a balanced trade-off between system- and user-optimum, CEGUM targets safer and faster mobility in cities with lower fuel consumption, less air pollution and less frustration for the European citizens due to reducing the idle-time behind the red lights.