Adaptive Traffic Light Management for Mobility and Accessibility in Smart Cities

Malik Almaliki, Amna Bamaqa, Mahmoud Badawy, Tamer Ahmed Farrag, Hossam Magdy Balaha and Mostafa A. Elhosseini ()
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Malik Almaliki: Department of Computer Science, College of Computer Science and Engineering, Taibah University, Yanbu 46421, Saudi Arabia
Amna Bamaqa: King Salman Center for Disability Research, Riyadh 11614, Saudi Arabia
Mahmoud Badawy: King Salman Center for Disability Research, Riyadh 11614, Saudi Arabia
Tamer Ahmed Farrag: King Salman Center for Disability Research, Riyadh 11614, Saudi Arabia
Hossam Magdy Balaha: Computers and Control Systems Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
Mostafa A. Elhosseini: King Salman Center for Disability Research, Riyadh 11614, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-31

Abstract: Urban road traffic congestion poses significant challenges to sustainable mobility in smart cities. Traditional traffic light systems, reliant on static or semi-fixed timers, fail to adapt to dynamic traffic conditions, exacerbating congestion and limiting inclusivity. To address these limitations, this paper proposes H-ATLM (a hybrid adaptive traffic lights management), a system utilizing the deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) reinforcement learning algorithm to optimize traffic light timings dynamically based on real-time data. The system integrates advanced sensing technologies, such as cameras and inductive loops, to monitor traffic conditions and adaptively adjust signal phases. Experimental results demonstrate significant improvements, including reductions in congestion (up to 50%), increases in throughput (up to 149%), and decreases in clearance times (up to 84%). These findings open the door for integrating accessibility-focused features such as adaptive signaling for accessible vehicles, dedicated lanes for paratransit services, and prioritized traffic flows for inclusive mobility.

Keywords: reinforcement learning (RL); deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG); adaptive traffic lights management (H-ATLM); urban transportation networks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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