Title: Slowness Yields Faster Results

In a groundbreaking development, a new traffic design concept has been published in the prestigious journal PLOS One. Titled "Revisiting street intersections using slot-based systems," the design aims to revolutionize the way traffic flows at intersections, potentially increasing road capacity by up to double.

The design, known as Slot-based Intersections (SIs), is the brainchild of a team of international researchers, including Paolo Santi from the SENSEable City Lab, Luis Ignacio Reyes-Castro and Emilio Frazzoli from MIT's Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems, Dirk Helbing from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich), and Carlo Ratti, a professor at MIT and the director of the SENSEable City Lab.

The SIs system operates on the principle of sophisticated technology and no traffic lights. The goal is for automobiles to use the intersection for the shortest possible time, ensuring a smooth and consistent flow of traffic. This is achieved not by having vehicles move more quickly, but by creating an optimal middle speed that maintains a consistent flow.

The scenario envisioned by the researchers involves high-tech vehicles equipped with sensors, able to maintain safe distances while moving through a four-way intersection. Each vehicle is assigned a specific time slot, ensuring they reach the intersection exactly when they have been designated to do so. This system, according to Ratti, can create a more efficient traffic flow because it eliminates wait times caused by traffic lights.

If implemented, this design could potentially allow twice as much traffic to use the roads, making urban commutes faster and more efficient. The study, based on mathematical modeling, is a significant step towards reducing traffic congestion and improving the overall flow of traffic in cities.

Remi Tachet and Stanislav Sobolevsky, also of the SENSEable City Lab, are co-authors of the study. Santi is also a member of the Italian National Research Council. The research team's work underscores the potential for technology to transform our urban landscapes and address the challenges posed by increasing urbanization.