[puddleglum]

I think that in general, light timing is just dreaming. I would love to see it, but I don't think that it is possible. It does work on one ways but that is about it. On a two way road, if the lights are timed for one direction, they won't be for the opposite one. It just can't work unless the whole city was laid out in a perfect grid. Never going to happen.
As for producing a "peoples car", I think it's a great idea that would be welcomed by way too few. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the public wouldn't be interested.