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Science
Friday > Archives
> 1999
> September
> September 3, 1999:
Hour Two: Traffic
If you're reading this, chances are you aren't stuck behind the wheel in holiday weekend traffic -- at least, we hope you're not reading this while you're driving! But we know you've been at the mercy of traffic at some time or other. You know the feeling of creeping along behind a line of trucks, waiting for the light to change, or idling in one of those mysterious jams that seem to appear out of nowhere. But is it all as random as it seems?
| There's a lot of science involved in the design and analysis of modern roadways. The laws of physics come into play -- and not just the basic F=ma, either. Some scientists use physical laws that are usually applied to liquids or gases to try to model the way that traffic flows (or doesn't). Other models create virtual cars, each equipped with basic rules, and set them loose on a computerized highway to see where jams occur. |  | Of course, the somewhat unpredictable nature of real drivers must be factored into the models as well - as well as the little quirks that can turn a free-flowing highway into a jammed up mess. Narrowing a roadway by just a few inches can make drivers slow down. Adding a new road can sometimes actually slow down traffic as drivers try to pile onto the shortcut.
On this hour of Science Friday, we'll take a look at the ins and outs of traffic engineering, and talk about whether intelligent design of cities and towns might be able to help calm the problem just as much as any traffic light. We'll also speak to a researcher who has found that even though the lane next to you may SEEM to be moving faster than your lane - there's a good chance it's not.
Join us for the physics of the fast lane!
Guests:
Donald A. Redelmeier, MD
Sunnybrook Hospital
University of Toronto
Toronto, Canada
Brian Schwartz
Professor of Physics at Brooklyn College
Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs
Graduate Center of the City University of New York
New York, New York
Sam Schwartz
Former Traffic Commissioner, City of New York
Author, "Gridlock Sam" Column, New York Daily News
President, The Sam Schwartz Company
New York, New York
Elizabeth Deakin
Professor, Dept. of City and Regional Planning
Director, University of California Transportation Center
University of California at Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Books/Articles Discussed:
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"Why cars in the next lane seem to go faster," by Donald A. Redelmeier and Robert J. Tibshirani. Nature, 2 September 1999. | | Related Links:
MIT Intelligent Transportation Systems
The Institute of Transportation Studies
TRANSIMS Home Page
Institute of Transportation
Engineers Home Page
Transportation and Urban Systems Engineering
GridLock Sam's Site
US Department of Transportation
- This segment produced by:
Charles Bergquist
Web producer:
Charles Bergquist
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