The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai confirmed that upgrading the central traffic signal control system to the new generation “UTC-UX Fusion” has contributed to increasing road efficiency and traffic flow from 16% to 37%.

This success reflects the authority’s qualitative leap and leadership in Dubai’s road infrastructure by employing the latest technologies, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics in traffic management to provide a smoother and more efficient travel experience for road users, translating Dubai’s strategy to become a smart and sustainable city.

Mohammed Al Ali, Director of Smart Traffic Systems at the Traffic and Roads Agency of the RTA, said: “The authority achieved tangible results in the upgrade and alignment works, exceeding the targeted expectations in improving travel time by 10 to 20%. Operational trials proved an improvement in traffic flow and travel time by up to 37% at Jumeirah Street intersections, while intersections on Al Bada’a Street saw a 29.4% improvement, Kuwait Street intersections improved by 16.9%, and travel time at Omar Bin Al Khattab Street intersections improved by 16.4%.”

Al Ali added: “The first phase of developing traffic signal intersections proved the ability to better detect congestion patterns and proactively manage them, alongside the use of digital twin principles to test some traffic scenarios before field implementation. This contributed to making smart decisions to effectively adjust traffic signal timings, enhance operational efficiency, reduce stop times at signals, improve coordination between intersections, thus ensuring smooth vehicle flow, reducing congestion, and prioritizing crossing for specific categories of emergency vehicles, public transport, and pedestrians.”

The authority confirmed it will continue implementing upgrade and alignment works in several phases over the coming period. The project is expected to be completed by the third quarter of next year, transforming approximately 300 traffic intersections across Dubai to the new generation of traffic signals, thereby enhancing the travel experience for all road users, including private vehicles, public transport, pedestrians, and cyclists.

It is noteworthy that the new system supports multimodal transport, including private vehicles, public transport, pedestrians, and cyclists, enabling integration with connected vehicle technologies (V2X), and opens the door for integrating data from various smart devices to enhance the ability to monitor and analyze traffic more accurately in the future.