Controlling traffic is a complex and high cost problem in many developed countries. It becomes more difficult and costly with the ever-increasing number of cars on the roads. But scientists and students at the Center for Advanced Transportation Technology, or CATT, at the University of Maryland are working to solve this problem. They are using simulation technologies to help government and private business control and react to changing traffic conditions.
交通控制在许多发达国家都是一项复杂和成本高昂的难题。随着路上汽车越来越多，它也变得更加困难和成本不菲。但是马里兰大学先进交通技术中心（CATT）的科学家和学生们正在努力解决这个问题。他们使用模拟技术帮助政府和私营企业控制和应对不断变化的交通状况。
The online economics magazine Forbes.com says traffic congestion cost Americans $124 billion in 2014. It says that number could rise to $186 billion by 2030.
网上经济杂志福布斯网表示，2014年交通拥堵让美国人付出了1240亿美元的代价。该网站表示，到2030年这一数字可能提高到1860亿美元。
But scientists at the CATT laboratory are trying to reduce those costs. They are developing a system that helps traffic managers, planners, emergency workers and businesses plan and react better. Michael Pack is CATT director. He says the system is important to help emergency workers, or first responders, reach an accident area faster.
但是CATT实验室的科学家们正在试图降低这些成本。他们正在开发一个系统帮助交通管理人员、规划人员、急救人员和企业更好地规划和应对。迈克尔·潘克（Michael Pack）是CATT的负责人。他说，该系统在帮助急救人员更快抵达事故现场方面非常重要。
"For every one minute that a lane on the freeway is blocked, the chances of another accident occurring goes up about 3%. So, if we can get a first responder out to the scene even a minute quicker and get them to clear the accident a minute quicker, that reduces overall delays and congestion significantly."
“高速公路车道每封闭一分钟，另一起事故发生的几率就会提高3%左右。所以如果我们可以让急救人员更快抵达现场清理事故，哪怕早一分钟，也能降低显著整体延迟和拥堵。”
The CATT Lab collects information from many sources, including roadside devices, GPS - or global positioning system - equipment and wireless phones.
CATT实验室从多方面收集信息，包括路边设备，以及设备或手机上安装的全球定位系统（GPS)。
About 60 students and 30 software developers observe traffic flow and manage the computer servers at all times. They also work to develop software and applications that can help traffic run smoother and safer. Some of them turn the information gathered into so-called "visualizations." These visual representations help emergency workers better understand what is happening.
大约有60名学生和30名软件开发人员全天候监控交通流并管理计算机服务器。他们还致力于开发可以帮助交通运行顺畅和安全的软件和应用。他们中的一些人就这些信息聚合为可视化信息。这些视觉呈现帮助急救人员更好地了解现状。
The center shares its findings with firefighters, police, transportation departments and the military. They also share information with universities and transportation companies. The technology company Google uses the data for its traffic-related websites. Michael Pack says the information is then shared with anyone who wants to help traffic run more smoothly.
该中心同消防队员、警察、交通部门和军队共享了他们的研究结果。他们还同各个大学以及运输公司共享信息。Google公司将这些数据用在该公司的交通相关网站上。潘克先生表示，这些信息随后会同任何希望帮助交通更平稳运行的个人分享。
"Our tools not only tell you what's going on at the scene, like there's an accident and it's involving a tractor-trailer truck, they tell you who has been notified to get to the scene, it tells you how long it took them to get to the scene, when they arrived, how long they were there, what did they do on the scene."
他说，“我们的工具不仅告诉你现场的现状，像发生了事故，并且牵扯到一台货柜车。它们还会告诉你已经通知了哪个部门赶赴现场。它们告诉你该部门抵达现场花了多长时间，他们在现场干了什么。”
Mr. Pack says the goal is to help develop an intelligent system of road signals that will communicate with each other and with vehicles on the road.
潘克先生表示，他们的目标是帮助开发一个智能交通信号系统，让每个人以及道路上的车辆互相沟通。