Mathematicians solve traffic congestion problem

• All drivers need to be on the same navigation system as automobiles can only be efficiently rerouted if instructions come from one centre hub.
• The traffic congestion problem is also solvable by using roadway widening or narrowing.

Getting stuck in a traffic jam is an everyday hassle of modern urban life. However, mathematicians using their magical maths powers have finally solved this issue as well.

Says Alexander Krylatov, a mathematics professor at St. Petersburg University, who alongside fellow professor Victor Zakharovhave written a monograph. “They do not have competencies in the field of system-related increases in traffic performance…. If engineers manage to achieve local improvements, after a while the flows rearrange and the same traffic jams appear in other places,” said Krylatov quoted Eurek Alert.

As per the report, in order to achieve this feat, all drivers need to be on the same navigation system as automobiles can only be efficiently rerouted if instructions come from one centre hub.

“Otherwise, if one of the major navigators announces without warning that it will redirect its users so that the traffic situation in the city improves and the other navigators do not support it, the changes will still remain at the local level - the system will readjust and the problem will not be solved.”

Furthermore, the traffic congestion problem is also solvable by using roadway widening or narrowing, which is especially important in cities with an already existing network. “In such cases, it is often impossible to extend the road from one intersection to another one. Moreover, the construction of road junctions is not always efficient.”

The report says that where the road is difficult to physically widen, it is efficient to use other methods such as a ban on parking throughout the route. Additionally, science can help create dedicated lanes for electric transport if the city administration wants to motivate drivers to switch to green cars. It is possible to create separate special routes for them and it will be much easier to get around using them.