Lightweight, innovative and ‘dancing’: exploring Moscow’s traffic lights

In megacities, traffic lights help to strike a balance between drivers wishing to drive faster and pedestrians who need to cross a road. To make it convenient for everyone, Moscow is introducing the most advanced traffic management technologies.

Can Moscow’s traffic lights communicate, who monitors the network of automated traffic control systems and where in Moscow one can see the most innovative lights — on the International Traffic Light Day, learn some metropolitan traffic management secrets unveiled.

From decree to traffic lights

The first attempts to regulate traffic in our country coincide with the emergence of streets. Most of all, authorities were concerned about dashing driving, which was dangerous for all road users, though it was not so easy to get a handle on speed demons. Authorities issued decrees, which were then supplemented, but traffic did not become safer after all, the Moscow Transport Museum notes.

In fact, the Decree of June 25, 1732 said that: “And if anyone henceforth, contrary hereto, dares to ride so briskly and in an unruly manner and their people fiercely ride in front of them, beating others with whips and crushing with sledges and horses, those, according to the degree of their guilt, will be subject to a cruel punishment or the death penalty”. However, it did not have a serious effect either.

“For two and a half centuries, attempts to regulate traffic in cities, including on Moscow streets, were limited to publishing rules that few observed, especially cabbies. Pedestrian traffic was not managed either as people crossed the road anywhere they liked. And, of course, there was no technical means for traffic control,” says Dmitry Yermak, Lead Specialist of the Research Center of the Moscow Transport Museum.

The world’s first-ever traffic management equipment, a traffic light invented by Englishman John Peake Knight, emerged relatively recently — in 1868. While working on devices for a railroad company, Mr. Knight decided to create a similar device for city streets, which was installed in London near the British Parliament, but, alas, it did not work for long as the gas lantern inside exploded and injured a policeman, and it took almost 50 years to develop a more perfect traffic light.

In our country, the first traffic light was set in Leningrad on January 15, 1930. On December 30 of the same year, the engineering innovation was also installed in Moscow, at the corner of Petrovka and Kuznetsky Most Streets; it was controlled manually. Traffic lights eventually proved their effectiveness and since 1933 they have been installed everywhere. Interestingly, the original color scheme was the opposite of what we are used to and only in 1959 did green and red take their usual places.

The capital got its first pedestrian traffic lights in the 1950 s. Before that residents took notice of signals for drivers, with Stop and Go shining alternately, to be then replaced by man icons.

How a present-day traffic light works

Even 15–20 years ago, Moscow’s streets had lamp traffic lights in a metal or plastic case, which weighed 30 to 40 kilograms and were repaired manually, while today the city has got a whole network of light-weighing LED traffic lights interconnected by a communication system. A fundamental traffic management rule for metropolitan streets is to balance interests of all participants, i.e., car drivers, public transport and pedestrians.

“More than 56 thous. traffic lights have been installed in Moscow. These are complex devices using artificial intelligence, which are connected to computers and servers and are able to ‘communicate’ with the road infrastructure. They are controlled by a software that sets traffic lights to make their own decisions or synchronize actions with other devices,” said Sergey Lomtev, Deputy Head of the Traffic Management Center (TMC).

Traffic lights can be based on one program, change the mode by themselves, depending on traffic, or be manually controlled. Each device is registered with the Moscow unified intelligent system and operates so that all traffic participants feel as easy as possible.

The capital has got more than 500 smart intersections with inductive-loop traffic detectors, small devices beneath asphalt paving that can detect vehicle type and number of moving cars or record other information, including an approaching tram to further ‘order’ traffic lights to turn on the permission signal for pedestrians. People cross the road while the tram is picking up or dropping off passengers, and as soon as the doors are closed, the traffic light immediately tuns green, no one having to wait.

“For example, Tverskaya Zastava Square is a major transport hub. There are more than 30 directions of movement there. With the introduction of the smart system, we have solved most of the problems, including traffic congestion and long waiting times at crossings. The square’s traffic capacity has increased by 17 per cent, the issue with traffic jams at the intersection was solved, and pedestrians wait for green light half as long,” Sergey Lomtev explained.

Who manages traffic lights

The traffic situation is monitored around the clock at the TMC Situational Room where duty officers are checking video surveillance cameras for accidents or traffic congestion, inform emergency services, adjust traffic lights, warn Muscovites and monitor a situation until it is all settled.

A traffic light itself can report a problem with the automated traffic controller if it does not respond to the signal of the monitoring IT system. The TMC road and bicycle patrol also monitors how well the equipment operates.

Road users, i.e., pedestrians and drivers, to report malfunctions, too. They should find a QR code at the traffic light frame, scan it, follow the link, describe the problem and attach a photo, the location to be identified automatically and the application to instantly reach controllers; if there is no QR code, one can call the Moscow Transport HelpDesk by 3210.

Suggestions related pedestrian crossings, traffic light locations, or changes in the traffic controller’s mode of operation are accepted via the Virtual Front Desk on the integrated transport portal or in the official VK community.

Know-how for smart intersections

Moscow’s transport infrastructure is growing rapidly and traffic lights are no exception. Engineers are still looking for better solutions to implement them on the city’s streets.

For example, an additional traffic light signal has been introduced in the traffic rules since March 1. In the capital, this technology of the so-called combined traffic light phase has been tested since 2020, with traffic lights featuring an extra, moon white section installed at 147 intersections. The information section with luminous icons is located below the traffic light, simultaneously allowing pedestrian movement and right turn for cars.

“This solution saves time for all road users. The use of the moon white signal does not affect the safety of people, but it reduces the waiting time for pedestrians and cyclists by 40 per cent. The capacity of intersections regulated by traffic lights with the additional section increases up to 30 per cent,” Sergey Lomtev says.

Another know-how that can be found on the central streets and in residential areas, where the speed is not higher than 60 kilometers per hour, is small traffic lights, which are three times smaller than conventional ones and are suitable for narrower streets. Despite their small size, they meet GOST standard and have proven their safety and efficiency; at the same time, they are more cost-efficient in production and more effective in operation. They also reduce visual noise and do not interfere with the look of the city. Small traffic lights are installed, in particular, at the intersection of Lesnaya Street and 2 nd Lesnoy Pereulok and Miussky Pereulok, as well as on Central and Moskovsky Prospekts and Nikolay Zlobin Street in Zelenograd.

The traffic authorities have installed an air quality sensor near the pedestrian crossing at the smart intersection on Tverskaya Zastava Square to run a test; if harmful emissions exceed the allowable limits, the pollution control traffic light turns on the permission signal to cross the street faster.

Muscovites have already accustomed to green traffic light call button, the solution being an integral part of the smart intersection concept. Moscow has also pioneered contactless call buttons activated with a mere hand swipe in front of the button.

Locals also like the ‘dancing’ traffic light on Berezhkovskaya Embankment, which has square displays instead of usual pedestrian sections and which shows symbols of simple physical exercises or dance moves during the wait time.

“Traffic lights are a critical component of effective traffic management. Now there are about 56 thousand of them in the city, most often, they are sophisticated intelligent devices, which can be connected remotely. In 2023, every district will have new traffic lights as we will install or upgrade them at 270 locations, primarily, in places at risk of accidents, pedestrian crossings near hospitals, schools, theaters and other points of attraction. We continue to make city streets more convenient and safer in accordance with the instructions of Sergei Sobyanin,” said Maxim Liksutov, Deputy Moscow Mayor for Transport.