Traffic flow control manages the movement of people and goods at specific locations on roads, airways, and other modes of transportation using traffic control devices or measures. Often, the objective of traffic control is to expedite traffic, or to increase the capacity of a transportation facility; however, in some cases it is intended to impede or slow down traffic, at the entry point to a neighbourhood for example. While traffic control may be as simple as placing a STOP sign at an intersection, it can also be a complex process, requiring the implementation of a range of traffic control devices and continual surveillance, communication, and prediction. In some countries like the U.S.A., Canada, and Japan, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), or the application of advanced technologies to transportation, are improving the ease with which these functions can be carried out and enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of traffic control measures.
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