ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the application of optoelectronics for controlling the safe and free passage of road vehicles and pedestrians in London, and for monitoring the possible causes of congestion, such as roadworks. The split cycle offset optimization technique (SCOOT) system allows traffic signals to detect vehicles passing along a road and work together to amend their signal timings on a second-by-second basis to adjust traffic flows accordingly through an area, making journeys more reliable. The introduction of the "pedestrian SCOOT" is the first of its kind in the world and uses the state-of-the-art video camera technology to automatically detect how many pedestrians are waiting at crossings. The development of intelligent video analysis technologies plays a large role in the management of the road network. An image recognition and incident detection system on some closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras can recognize abnormal levels of congestion and provide an automated warning.
