> This is a major problem at an intersection near me that I used to have to drive through frequently. Two intersections, only about 500 feet between them
In San Francisco (as well as other cities I've lived in) they put police in the middle of intersections during rush hour to guide traffic (i.e., stop cars before they drive into an intersection that they'll get stuck in the middle of). Seems woefully inefficient
The traffic cops greatly improve throughput.
Imagine how much gas would be saved if the city spent a little effort on the traffic lights.
When traffic is really heavy humans are better than machines at getting traffic through. However they cost a lot of money and so are only rarely worth the cost.