Can NoTraffic lead to No Traffic in Israel?
Good news and bad news. Good news first. NoTraffic is an amazing Israeli startup that recently raised a $50million Series B to expand its growth in US cities. The startup uses hardware and software to control traffic lights using real-time data, optimizing entire traffic grids for efficiency and safety. Andrew Jacobson, who’s a wonderful writer out of Tel Aviv, was asking when we can get NoTraffic to fix traffic in Israel. On that front I’m afraid I have less exciting news. Traffic in Israel is likely here to stay. Part of that is that Israel has one of the highest densities of cars per kilometer of road. It’s a small country, with a highly concentrated and growing population, who really like their cars. Any economist would tell us that if a good is being over consumed, particularly a public good like ‘space on public roads,’ then we should increase the price to reduce the demand. What is amazing is that Israel has already aggressively done this, with some of the highest taxes on vehicle purchases and some of the highest fuel costs in the world. And with all that, we still get traffic jams, even on the toll road!
But can’t smart traffic lights increase the throughput of our existing infrastructure? Yes they can, and improving safety is a worthy action in and of itself, as well as a traffic calming mechanism. However, once traffic improves we run up against the challenge of induced demand. If it becomes more convenient to drive, more people will do it! The answer that no one was asking for is: ‘it isn't expensive enough to operate a car in Israel,’ but if you want to reduce traffic, you have to increase the cost to greater than what the next marginal car that might join the road can tolerate. And if the dozens of learner drivers who slowly wend their way through my neighborhood are any indication, we aren’t near that yet.
No traffic won’t look like no traffic, unless you want to drive at 3am in Tel Aviv, or 5 minutes before Shabbat in Jerusalem. It looks like hopping on the MTR in Hong Kong, and appearing on the other side of the city in minutes. Riding the express train to downtown Manhattan, because driving your car down there would be a nightmare, and you would have nowhere to put it once you arrive.
In addition to their technical acumen, there's an additional way that NoTraffic can reduce traffic in Israel, by opening a R&D office in Jerusalem! I’m an experienced software engineering team lead and would love to build out a team here in our nation’s capital. It could really help reduce some of that traffic coming into Tel Aviv!
🌍 Global Recognition, Exciting Times Ahead! 🚀
🗞 NoTraffic's Series B announcement has ignited a global buzz! We are grateful to the newsletters worldwide for their support.
🦸 To our amazing team at NoTraffic, this global recognition is a testament to your passion and dedication. Your brilliance fuels our progress, and we can't wait to achieve new milestones together.
💪 Stay tuned for what's to come! 🌟
#NoTraffic #SeriesB #MobilityTech
Lead Financial Analyst at Gonzaba Medical Group
8moI’m not surprised! Your team has always been friendly, responsive, and easy to communicate with. I think those traits are indicative of a great work place. Congrats, and keep it up!