The State As Traffic Cop
__ The country's 92 miles of freeways and major surface roads form a seamless, centralized network. The law of traffic dynamics here is that every action has a government-controlled reaction. This model of an intelligent transportation system is uniquely Singaporean - a traffic dictatorship, in which the Land Transport Authority has complete say over traffic control decisions.
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METERED SIGNALS at on-ramps regulate traffic flow. LED signs above the ramps predict travel time to the next exit.
TRANSPONDERS equipped with GPS devices, installed on a network of private taxicabs, let engineers track the speed of traffic throughout the city.
BUS CAMERAS are linked by wireless LAN to the local depot. These front-mounted bus cams record the license plate numbers of cars that stray into bus-only lanes and transmit the violation to the Vehicle Transit Licensing Department of the LTA.
DYNAMIC ROAD SIGNS, electronic signboards that are controlled wirelessly by LTA engineers, inform drivers of upcoming delays, accidents, or hazards.
THE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER is the central command room where engineers monitor and manipulate flow over the network.
A WEB SITE run by the LTA reports traffic problems as they occur, gives the speed of traffic on major roads, and provides estimated travel time between two points.
TOW TRUCKS patrol the city and are alerted by mobile phone or fax the instant an accident is detected.
RED-LIGHT CAMERAS at intersections report light runners and other violators.
BURIED INDUCTIVE LOOPS collect traffic density data and transmit the info to the network.
SMART INTERSECTIONS (powered by sensors) know how many cars are waiting at a red light and change the signal accordingly. Regional controllers, linked to the central system, monitor traffic and adjust the signals to improve flow.
VIDEO CAMERAS mounted on lampposts, overpasses, electronic gantries, and buildings are the eyes of the surveillance network. The video feeds, linked to the central LAN by leased line, are also sent directly to radio stations.
ELECTRONIC GANTRIES, equipped with antennas and cameras, detect the type of vehicle passing underneath them, check the time of day, and deduct the appropriate toll from a smartcard on the vehicle's dashboard.
