CONNECT: Collaboration and Optimization via Neighboring Networks for Efficient City Transportation

California has long grappled with a transportation crisis that has had far-reaching consequences. This crisis has had a significant impact on both the economy, as goods movement is severely affected, and residents, who face hindered mobility and compromised safety. Two pressing issues at the heart of this transportation crisis are congestion and traffic safety. It is a common occurrence that congestion leads to traffic accidents, which, in turn, exacerbate congestion further. Given the dynamic nature of traffic, effective solutions for traffic management must be capable of real-time monitoring, analysis, and intervention. The main objective of this project is to address the transportation challenges by implementing efficient and intelligent traffic management that operates in real time. To achieve this, the proposed project will leverage an ad-hoc network composed of neighboring vehicles and roadside infrastructure. Through collaboration and optimization, this network will effectively manage traffic. The exchange of information between vehicles, vehicles and roadside infrastructure, and roadside infrastructure units within the ad-hoc network will play a crucial role in maintaining basic traffic safety. Furthermore, the roadside infrastructure units will also share information with regional and city transportation stations/centers to obtain more comprehensive travel suggestions.