The Traffic Light Challenge

Traffic lights are an important part of the transportation infrastructure, regulating traffic flow and maintaining safety when crossing busy streets. When they go awry or become nonfunctional, a great deal of havoc and danger can be present. During power outages, the street lights go out all over the affected area. It would be good to be able to power them some other way. The activity presented in this article begins by researching how traffic lights work and how they obtain their electric power. The activity encourages students to look at alternative ways to power traffic lights.