Smart cities call for a “traffic brain”.

Envisioning the future, all road, vehicle, and passenger information will be integrated into the system, with collection, dispatch, and management being directed by the “city traffic brain.” In the wave of smart city development, “Internet + transportation” holds a leading position. However, the current construction of “Internet +” in the transportation sector faces a problem - treating “local network+” as “Internet +”, each operating independently without the integration of data, resulting in isolated local networks. If we liken “Internet + transportation” to a person, staying within the “local network+” is akin to lacking a central nervous system, without a “city traffic brain” capable of aggregating information and making decisions.

How to break the deadlock of “local network+” and create a “city traffic brain”? I believe the key lies in achieving a big data ecosystem of “for all, by all,” where every individual, every business, and local traffic management departments become creators and beneficiaries of the same big data ecosystem. Only through such cross-sector integration can a chemical reaction occur.

For example, in the past, guiding traffic flow was done by traffic management departments analyzing historical data in advance and sending text messages to the public to avoid congested routes. This approach only relied on past data analysis to provide static solutions. Nowadays, users provide real-time traffic big data to navigation software through crowdsourcing. This data is then integrated with data provided by traffic management departments, enabling dynamic guidance for user travel. This change is clearly facilitated by the data collaboration between navigation software, users, and traffic management departments.

To optimize the operation of big data systems, government departments need to further integrate public data, including real-time passenger flow and vehicle flow data from various modes of transportation such as buses, subways, taxis, ride-sharing services, and personal vehicles. In the new system, the government can delegate trivial functions to the public through cloud platforms, allowing them to focus more on top-level design.

The ultimate goal of future transportation should be the creation of a “city traffic brain,” embodying the concept of “for all, by all” to its fullest extent - where all road, vehicle, and passenger information are integrated into the system, with collection, dispatch, and management being directed by the “city traffic brain”: city vehicles are mostly autonomous; traffic management systems operate autonomously, imperceptible to people, much like congestion is imperceptible. With such a “brain,” the efficiency of urban travel and road safety will significantly improve. We look forward to more entities participating and eagerly anticipate the birth and maturity of the “city traffic brain”.