RADAR TRAFFIC MONITOR FOR INTERSECTION TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

ROADWAY INTERSECTION TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ACCOMPLISH COMMAND AND CONTROL USING VEHICLE SENSORS WITH COMPUTERS WHICH HAVE SOPHISTICATED PROGRAMS (SOFTWEAR). COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY HAS PROGRESSED MORE RAPIDLY IN RECENT YEARS THAN SENSOR TECHNOLOGY. WIRE LOOPS WHICH ARE LAID IN THE PAVEMENT ARE COSTLY TO INSTALL AND MAINTAIN AND ARE NOT EASILY RECONFIGURED FOR AN UPGRADE OF TRAFFIC CONTROL. A RADAR SENSOR IS PROPOSED WHICH WOULD MOUNT IN CONJUNCTION WITH TRAFFIC LIGHTS SUSPENDED OVER THE ROADWAY. APPROACH LANES WOULD BE INDIVIDUALLY MONITORED AND THE SENSORS WOULD PROVIDE VELOCITY INFORMATION AS WELL AS VEHICLE PRESENCE. SENSOR RELIABILITY WOULD BE IMPROVED USING RADAR AND COST OFEQUIPMENT INCLUDING INSTALLATION, IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPARABLE WITH LOOP TYPE SENSORS. THE RADAR SENSOR WOULD CONTAIN ITS OWN PROCESSOR AND BE DESIGNED TO INTERFACE DIRECTLY WITH EXISTING TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS. THE AVAILABLE VEHICLE VELOCITY INFORMATION WOULD BE PROVIDED ON DIGITAL FORMAT TO BE ASSIMILATED BY NEW GENERATION TRAFFIC CONTROL COMPUTERS.