Intelligent control in traffic management

The goal of an advanced traffic management system (ATMS) is to efficiently manage existing transportation resources in response to dynamic traffic conditions. The utility of an ATMS will greatly depend upon its ability to adaptively respond to traffic patterns and permutations. The application of knowledge-based systems and neural networks provides an ATMS with the technology required to control traffic in an intelligent manner. The volume of traffic combined with the number of streets and intersections an operator control station must monitor clearly dictates the need for computer support. Integrating these technologies with existing transportation methodologies produces a semi-autonomous system capable of reducing operator workloads while maintaining high levels of safety. This paper describes an intelligent traffic management control system called TERMINUS developed to adaptively respond to real-time traffic management problems