Reducing the Road Transport’s Influence on the Environment by Optimizing Traffic Management

Abstract

The state’s transport system, which ensures the movement of goods and people, is an essential component of its economy, but at the same time one of the main sources of negative environmental impact. The main task of designing, creating and maintaining the transport systems’ sustainability in urban areas is to address their safety, reliability and environmental friendliness. The urbanized territory parameters (size, layout, etc.) have a significant impact on the any activity’s development, including transport and logistics. By analysing the influence of various factors on the transport system’s sustainability and identifying common patterns, it is possible to build rational management of the transport system and increase its reliability and security. The article is devoted to the motor transports’ environmental problems in small cities, where it is impossible to apply large and expensive solutions. The study’s goal is to develop tools for organizing traffic in the conditions of the vehicles fleet rapid growth. To this end, we have proposed an intelligent traffic control system, the intellectual core of which is simulation models of road network problem areas. Using specific examples, it is shown that in some cases there is no need to apply expensive solutions to reduce the negative vehicles impact on the environment’s ecological state, and, often, rational management can lead to the desired result. Performing a computer experiment on the constructed simulation models showed that there is considerable potential for improving the traffic flows parameters in these areas and reducing the negative impact on the environment.