As commute times grow, engineers are turning to technology to keep traffic moving efficiently

Traffic signals that adapt when the roadways they monitor are more congested - or are about to become more congested - to move motorists more efficiently, with fewer red lights. And this: Vehicles with the ability to sync their travel speeds and the distances between each other to make them less likely to crash or cause delays. And even this: Vehicles that can sense when a pedestrian is about to step into traffic - and adjust accordingly - to potentially save a life. Such advances might come sooner than you may think, said four experts who work to make travel on streets and highways in the Omaha metro area more efficient. The goal, they said, is to move more people in a more efficient manner while reducing crashes and decreasing injuries.