Dynamic e-Traffic Light management using ITS systems

European Union’s strategies to reduce traffic jams and reduce fatalities are constantly improved and they adopt all the newest technologies available to reach these targets. E-Mobility is having a key role trying to get this purpose, as pointed out in Strategic Transport Research Innovation Agenda ( STRIA ). In this context, the focus has been set on the congestion problem generated by traffic lights. This issue has been faced using vehicles driving into a Vehicular Ad Hoc Network (VANET), able to communicate using Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) technology. SUMO simulator has been used to develop the environment, while the simulation framework Veins (Vehicles in Network Simulation), based on OMNeT++ simulator, has been used to implement vehicles’ networking. To reduce traffic problem, a distributed heuristic algorithm has been designed. A bit-based representation has been used to mathematically describe the intersection and, using the data collected via V2V communication, search for the optimal solution. In addition, V2V allows vehicles to detect when they have the right to move into the intersection without producing hazardous situations. To compare the result, the same intersection has been simulated using a traffic light whose phase’s signal has been designed using Webster’s method. The comparison shows that it is worthy to use the developed algorithm to empty the intersection.