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vehicle
on the road and all vehicles within a defined vicinity.
The vehicles would be able to communicate with each
other, exchanging data on speed, orientation, perhaps
even on driver awareness and intent. This could increase
safety for nearby vehicles, while enhancing the overall
sensitivity of the VII system, for example, by
performing an automated emergency maneuver (steering,
decelerating, braking) more effectively. In addition,
the system is designed to communicate with the roadway
infrastructure, allowing for complete, real-time traffic
information for the entire network, as well as better
queue management and feedback to vehicles. It would
ultimately close the feedback loops on what is now an
open-loop transportation system.
There
are a number of planning and design approaches to
redressing automobile dependency, known variously as New
Urbanism, Transit-oriented development, and Smart
growth. Most of these approaches focus on the physical
urban design, urban density and landuse zoning of
cities. Transport planning academic at the University
of Melbourne argues that investment in good public
transit, centralised management by the public sector and
appropriate policy priorities are more significant than
issues of urban form and density.
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