# TransferLight: Zero-Shot Traffic Signal Control on any Road-Network

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.09719 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.09719/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 17 of its 40 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 12 Dec 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 17 of 17)

- [Attention Is All You Need](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.03762/) (2017)
- [Adam: A Method for Stochastic Optimization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1412.6980/) (2014)
- [Semi-Supervised Classification with Graph Convolutional Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1609.02907/) (2016)
- [Graph Attention Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1710.10903/) (2017)
- [Deep Reinforcement Learning with Double Q-learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1509.06461/) (2015)
- [Domain Randomization for Transferring Deep Neural Networks from Simulation to the Real World](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1703.06907/) (2017)
- [Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning for Large-scale Traffic Signal Control](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1903.04527/) (2019)
- [CoLight: Learning Network-level Cooperation for Traffic Signal Control](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1905.05717/) (2019)
- [Learning Phase Competition for Traffic Signal Control](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1905.04722/) (2019)
- [A Survey on Traffic Signal Control Methods](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1904.08117/) (2019)
- [AttendLight: Universal Attention-Based Reinforcement Learning Model for Traffic Signal Control](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.05772/) (2020)
- [Equivariant Adaptation of Large Pretrained Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.01647/) (2023)
- [On the Importance of Exploration for Generalization in Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.05483/) (2023)
- [Integrating independent and centralized multi-agent reinforcement learning for traffic signal network optimization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1909.10651/) (2019)
- [Adversarial Advantage Actor-Critic Model for Task-Completion Dialogue Policy Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1710.11277/) (2017)
- [Tilt your Head: Activating the Hidden Spatial-Invariance of Classifiers](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.03730/) (2024)
- [Scalable Anytime Planning for Multi-Agent MDPs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.04788/) (2021)

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [A Graph-Based Control Interface for Traffic Signals on Heterogeneous Road Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.21831/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Traffic signal control plays a crucial role in urban mobility. However, existing methods often struggle to generalize beyond their training environments to unseen scenarios with varying traffic dynamics. We present TransferLight, a novel framework designed for robust generalization across road-networks, diverse traffic conditions and intersection geometries. At its core, we propose a log-distance reward function, offering spatially-aware signal prioritization while remaining adaptable to varied lane configurations - overcoming the limitations of traditional pressure-based rewards. Our hierarchical, heterogeneous, and directed graph neural network architecture effectively captures granular traffic dynamics, enabling transferability to arbitrary intersection layouts. Using a decentralized multi-agent approach, global rewards, and novel state transition priors, we develop a single, weight-tied policy that scales zero-shot to any road network without re-training. Through domain randomization during training, we additionally enhance generalization capabilities. Experimental results validate TransferLight's superior performance in unseen scenarios, advancing practical, generalizable intelligent transportation systems to meet evolving urban traffic demands.