Why Google Told Drivers to Drive a Longer Way On Purpose
"A team at Google's research arm used Google Maps to reroute a small portion of drivers in 10 U.S. cities," reports SFGate — including San Francisco and Los Angeles. "Through their experiment, which was published in the journal Nature Cities in June, the researchers sought to evenly spread traffic down more corridors as the drivers head to similar destinations, in the hopes of reducing…
A Google team rerouted traffic in 10 U.S. cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, using Google Maps, as reported by SFGate. The experiment, published in Nature Cities, aimed to evenly distribute traffic along multiple routes to alleviate congestion. The results showed an average speed increase of 2% on congested roads and a 0.7% reduction in travel times.
The study demonstrated real-world applicability of the concept, previously theorized by scientists. Highways, particularly in cities like Los Angeles, showed the most significant improvements, with speeds increasing by around 4.6%. However, the study also acknowledged the potential for "induced demand," where improved traffic flow could lead to more people using the roads, negating the initial benefits.
The researchers limited their interventions to a marginal improvement to avoid this issue. While the environmental benefits, such as reduced CO2 emissions, were acknowledged, they were minor compared to the total emissions from millions of gas-guzzling vehicles. The study is seen as a proof of concept, potentially influencing city traffic management strategies.
Written by urgent.news from Slashdot's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
