Ramp meter
A ramp meter is like a traffic light for cars that want to enter a highway from an on-ramp. You know how when you want to get onto the highway, sometimes there is a line of cars waiting on the on-ramp? Well, a ramp meter helps to control the flow of those cars so that there aren't too many trying to merge onto the highway at the same time, causing traffic to slow down or even stop.
The ramp meter is usually a little box at the end of the on-ramp with a traffic signal on top. The traffic signal will flash yellow or green at first, and then turn red. When it turns green, one car at a time is allowed to merge onto the highway. This helps to space out the cars and makes it easier for everyone to merge smoothly.
The ramp meter is controlled by a computer that knows how much traffic is already on the highway, and how many cars are waiting on the on-ramp. If the computer thinks there are too many cars trying to merge at once, it will keep the red light on longer to give more time for the cars on the highway to pass.
So, in a nutshell, a ramp meter is like a traffic cop for on-ramp traffic to the highway. It helps to keep things moving smoothly and safely so that everyone can get where they need to go without getting stuck in traffic.
The ramp meter is usually a little box at the end of the on-ramp with a traffic signal on top. The traffic signal will flash yellow or green at first, and then turn red. When it turns green, one car at a time is allowed to merge onto the highway. This helps to space out the cars and makes it easier for everyone to merge smoothly.
The ramp meter is controlled by a computer that knows how much traffic is already on the highway, and how many cars are waiting on the on-ramp. If the computer thinks there are too many cars trying to merge at once, it will keep the red light on longer to give more time for the cars on the highway to pass.
So, in a nutshell, a ramp meter is like a traffic cop for on-ramp traffic to the highway. It helps to keep things moving smoothly and safely so that everyone can get where they need to go without getting stuck in traffic.