Abstract Manager

Our study presents a practical assessment of Riyadh's traffic system, which is Saudia Arabia's capital city, challenging the technology-centric approach to congestion management and assessing whether the technology was applied correctly. The City observes low return on investment in terms of congestion relief, after procuring state-of-the-art ITS systems technology. 

We comprehensively assessed Riyadh's current traffic situation, identifying key congestion hotspots and inefficiencies in signal management and data utilization. We pinpointed gaps in signal density, operational methodologies, and maintenance strategies by comparing Riyadh's system with global benchmarks. Most notably, lack of recurring deficiency assessment, over-reliance on manual overrides, and poor coordination between agencies were low-hanging fruits that could be addressed with little to no further investment. 

Our proposed solutions, including expanded highway traffic management system, dashboards for operation constraint identification and system monitoring, and data-driven approach for signal optimization. Our solutions aim to optimize traffic flow, reduce congestion, and enhance overall urban mobility. This study not only offers a roadmap for Riyadh but also sets a precedent for smart city traffic management, demonstrating that the true power of technology lies not in the highest dollar spent, but in its strategic application.