Time loss in traffic is a significant challenge for residents of large metropolises, driving investments in urban mobility solutions. A notable example is smart traffic lights, which have been implemented at 1,677 intersections in the city of São Paulo. According to City Hall data, this technology resulted in a 12.16% decrease in slowdown rates in the covered areas, while simultaneously increasing vehicle circulation capacity by 5.72%.
Besides São Paulo, other cities such as Curitiba and, in the future, Belo Horizonte, are adopting this innovation. This technology aims to offer benefits to drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, allowing an understanding of the functioning and practical impact of smart traffic lights in the urban environment.
A smart traffic light consists of a software and equipment system that manages the signaling of one or more intersections with adaptive capability. This adaptive system was created to manage road traffic dynamically and on demand.
Unlike traditional models, which rely on predefined schedules and timings, smart traffic lights automatically adjust the opening and closing time of signals in real time. This variation occurs according to the number of vehicles and pedestrians present at the location, aiming to optimize circulation, reduce congestion, prevent unnecessary stops, and ensure faster and more predictable travel.
The set of devices and software uses traffic data to determine the intervals between green, yellow, and red lights, as well as coordinating the 'green wave' in entire corridors. The essential functionality lies in a control model that responds to real changes in flow and communicates with other traffic lights or a management center.
There are different levels of implementation of this technology:
General operating factors include continuous data collection by cameras and sensors, real-time processing of this information, automatic adjustment performed by algorithms (such as SCATS, used in São Paulo), prioritization of more congested roads, synchronization of sub-areas, and maintaining a fixed time for pedestrian safety.
Additionally, the system allows for the application of the 'Green Wave,' programming traffic lights in an open sequence to facilitate the passage of many vehicles without interruption, provided the road is unidirectional and uniform.
The main distinction between smart and traditional traffic lights is flexibility versus fixed programming. While conventional ones follow rigid tables based on day or time, smart ones constantly self-regulate. In terms of infrastructure, old models use asphalt sensors, vulnerable to repairs, whereas the intelligent system is integrated into monitoring centers and is monitored in real time by operational teams, such as the Traffic Engineering Company (CET), which enables remote management of unforeseen events.
The São Paulo City Hall confirmed that the benefits of the technology were observed in all macro-regions analyzed by CET. The Southeast and East zones showed the best results, with a 12.05% increase in circulation capacity and a 26.04% drop in slowdown.
Some specific corridors showed even more significant improvements: Indianópolis Avenue registered a 66.2% decrease in slowdown and a 5% growth in flow; Paes de Barros Avenue had a 57.1% reduction in congestion, accompanied by a 16.7% increase in circulation. Other roads, such as Rua dos Trilhos (50%), Avenida dos Bandeirantes (29%), and Avenida Salim Farah Maluf (22.6%), also recorded a reduction in queues.
The city's goal is to reach 2,583 smart intersections, with a projected investment of R$ 725.5 million. Currently, 217 intersections are in the final phase of implementation, and 689 have had their executive projects approved, concentrating mainly in the subprefectures of Sé, Vila Mariana, Pinheiros, Lapa, Ipiranga, Mooca, and Santo Amaro.
As the Center failed to secure state support for demarcating ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) in the Western Ghats, despite six previous projects since 2014, a seventh notification has been released. This project proposes designating 56,825 sq km across various states as sensitive zones to restrict or regulate human activities that threaten the environment in this fragile region.
The Western Ghats constitute an important geological formation on the border of India's western coast, stretching approximately 1,500 km, and cover six states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
The main objections to designating ESAs came from the peninsular states, particularly Kerala. They insisted that the proposed restricted zones would negatively impact livelihoods due to the prohibition of certain activities.
The seventh draft was published in the official gazette on Monday by the Ministry of Environment. It stipulates that the proposal will be 'considered' before the final ESA notification is published, which will not occur earlier than 60 days after copies of the gazette become available to the public.
Like the sixth project, the new draft allows for the phased adoption of the final ESA notification—either by individual states or through a single comprehensive notification. This approach may accelerate the process without requiring simultaneous consent from all six states.
The ESA issue has been pending since August 2011, when a central committee led by ecologist Madhava Gadgil recommended the Center declare a 'no-go zone' to preserve the fragile landscape across the six states. The first ESA notification draft was issued in March 2014, but the proposal has remained on paper since then.
The Ministry released five more drafts in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2024 before presenting the latest on Monday. The Central Expert Committee conducted several discussions with the states, but a final agreed decision was never reached among the stakeholders.
The project proposes designating 20,668 sq km of ESA in Karnataka; 17,340 sq km in Maharashtra; slightly over 9,993 sq km in Kerala; 6,914 sq km in Tamil Nadu; 1,461 sq km in Goa, and 449 sq km in Gujarat, where certain human activities will be restricted or regulated. Furthermore, the project clarifies that agricultural and plantation practices will not be affected, and the actual area will be determined based on recommendations from the states, opinions of stakeholders, and the expert committee.
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