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Get Street Smart about Smart Streets: The Future of Traffic

Driving a smarter car might involve driving your current car on a smarter road. 

We spend a lot of time trying to make our driving experience more comfortable through changes to our cars.

But it turns out the changes – someday – could involve not having to drive them at all. That is the notion that some advocates and developers of so-called “smart road” technology have in mind.

But smart roads don’t just involve driverless cars – it could mean better timing for stop lights, or at a more basic level, turning over some decisions drivers make to a larger traffic management entity.

Auto contributor Mark Savage explains that while engineers might be able to make roads work better for traffic, it wouldn't come without a cost.

"If we’re going to do something – kind of like landing a man on the moon – you’re going to have to spend the money to do it.  Instead of putting a man on the moon, let’s get a man to the supermarket on time, or a woman to her office on time.

Savage writes about cars for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and is also editor of American Snowmobilermagazine.

Dan Harmon was one of the original members of Lake Effect (formerly At Ten). He started at WUWM in November of 1998 and left December of 2015 after 17 years of production.