Traffic Light Project
Problem: Morning and after noon school trafic!
Project by Shannon, Cierra, Hannah, and Abrahm(?)
Observations
- School speed limit= 20 mph
- Takes 49 seconds to get from one light to the other
- 443.86 meters between the two lights
Solution
1. Should the vehicles be allowed to flow from the light on Old Settlers through the left arrow light at the corner of Old Settlers and Peter's Colony?
2. How should the lights be timed?
- Yes! As long as it's on a timer.
2. How should the lights be timed?
- Having a green arrow for one minute would allow plenty of cars to go!
- both lights should be on the same timer, that way the green lights are corresponding. So when traffic is light and say the cars are going 20 mph (assuming cars are three seconds apart) 13 cars would go through the light. This is found by dividing the distance by 20 mph, which is about 22 seconds and then dividing the remaining time by three.
Support
- Since it takes 48 seconds to get from one light to the other going at 20 mph with light traffic, even though during school speed zone times the speed limit is 20 mph however with an average amount of traffic a car travels from one light to the other at around 9mph (found by dividing 443.86 by 48) so leaving the light green for a minute at a time would allow ample time for plenty of cars to go.
- The side opposite to the congested side tends to have the least traffic so 30 seconds would be sufficient, they can also do right on red.
- Peters Colony going towards the school has a medium level of traffic, so it should be somewhere around 45 seconds, and the same for the other side of Peters Colony.