Evaluating Traffic Control Parameters: From Efficiency to Sustainable Development

Understanding the interplay between traffic optimization parameters and their alignment with sensors, control algorithms, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is essential for improving urban traffic management. The appropriate selection of parameters in urban traffic management is crucial to optimize vehicular flow and meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To find out which parameters are most commonly used and appropriate, a comprehensive study was conducted, the results of which are presented in this article. This study uses a three-phase approach: qualitative exploration, systematic literature review, and multiple-dimensional analysis. This study’s contributions include a practical five-level framework for traffic optimization addressing congestion problems, the identification of 19 commonly used traffic control parameters, the analysis of their implementations in recent intelligent traffic control systems, and a proposal of trends to orient these parameters towards efficiency and compliance with the SDGs. The results lay the groundwork for creating new parameters or modifying existing parameters so that the parameters are oriented not only towards efficiency in control algorithms or user experience but also towards meeting the SDGs.