Using Cell Devices To Monitor Traffic Flow

MxTxL writes "MSNBC is running a fairly nifty story here about how a few telco companies are thinking of using cell phone, pager and GPS signals and even the toll-payer transponders to analyze traffic patterns and give operators better abilities to route traffic around congestion. The article even mentions a few privacy issues and talks a little bit on how the GPS units in cars could be alerted to warn the driver about upcoming congestion and suggest an alternative route. "

Comments

Re:What About Traffic Density Radar?

[Keith Russell]

They were put up by Traffic.com. We were the pilot city for their system. Those sensors poll every 60 seconds, and can tell how dense and how fast the flow is moving (or not moving as you approach the Squirrel Hill Tunnels). They combine this with traditional methods (choppers, watchtowers, cellphone callers) to handle accidents on the main routes, as well as general information on traffic in areas not covered by the flow sensors.

It's pretty cool. I can now see in realtime just how frelled up the Parkways East and West are, and exactly where the Perpetual I-79 Repaving Project is this week. And it doesn't seem capable to pick out individual vehicles, so it can only detect how fast the flow is going.

We're not scare-mongering/This is really happening - Radiohead

Re:The potential for abuse is enormous

[lizrd]

Traffic laws should exist for the saftey of all involved. They also should be fairly enforced. However, this is not really the case. Traffic laws (especially speed limits) exist as a way of gathering road use taxes. Too many jurisdictions have come to rely on the revenue generated by traffic fines. The most glaring case being Linndale, OH, which manages to fund the majority of its village budget with monies from traffic fines imposed on non-residents. Though the problem is particularly severe in Linndale it certianly isn't unique to that area. There are many jurisdictions (New Jersey comes to mind) that found it necessare to sharply increase fines to maintian revenue stream upon raising the speed limit above 55MPH.

This is quite revealing as to why traffic laws aren't uniformly enforced and why the general public has such contempt for them. Police officers are simply tax collectors and receive an amount of respect communsurate with that position from most motorists.

________________________

Re:Ummm don't track me thanks

[firewort]

They'll be tracking us full-time anyway,
thanks to FCC e911.

http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Wireless/News_Release s/ 1999/nrwl9046.html

I'll keep using my pcs phone without e911 capability, until it breaks. When it breaks, screw communicating, I'd rather not be tracked.

A host is a host from coast to coast, but no one uses a host that's close

Anonymity != Privacy

[Erasmus Darwin]

In the article, it refers to the anonymizing the cell phone that the data came from as a means of ensuring privacy. While that make work for something like television viewership (the fact that 500 people in my area watched "Barney" isn't going to reveal my secret purple dinosaur fetish), it doesn't necessarily work for traffic. Imagine the following anonymized traffic data:

Data for I-95, mile marker 88:
Average speed -- 70 mph
Lowest speed -- 46 mph
Highest speed -- 98 mph

So, even though it's anonymized, it's more than sufficient for a police officer to go out and clock someone speeding. Even though the speed data isn't used to directly issue the ticket (unlike a certain car rental company), it still provides critical information that leads to the ticket being issued. So it still could be used as a sort of defacto Big Brother system.

Welcome to New York.

[ageitgey]

...According to our trafficompu2000 3d system, gridlock is covering the metro area. In certain areas espec-

DJ: What's a trafficompu2000, Captain Bob?
Guy in Traffic Copter: Well it uses Cell Phone signals to track traffic -
DJ: Hey, aren't cell phones in moving vechicles illegal Captain?
Guy in Traffic Copter: Well, it sends them a ticket at the same time! The mayor has got this city running like a machine. Back to you, Rob.

... Stay tuned for more team traffic coverage every six minutes on W-W-W-W-W-FUN AM1240!

YOU (to friend on phone): Damn!

I can see it now.

[Kujako]

cell : Warning, cell phone using driver in blue BMW swerving in and out of trafic on HY 19. User on HY 19 : Hey, that jerk the phone's talking about is in the same type of car I'm in.

Re:The potential for abuse is enormous

[natesch]

It has already happened. Check out this story about a guy who got busted by his rental car agency when they tracked him with a GPS.

Dynamic system indeed!

[dmorin]

Looks like a self-modifying system -- person A uses phone to check traffic status, is told "all clear". Person A then smashes into person B because he wasn't paying attention to the f*cking road. Person C then checks traffic status and is told "Accident ahead." And so on. :)

The potential for abuse is enormous

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

If people can be tracked in their cars with cell phones and on-board GPS devices, how long until the police uses this to give people speeding tickets ?

In the UK, I believe they already have CCTV cameras on major motorways to read people's license plates, track their average speed and issue electronic tickets automatically. If people's cell phones are used to achieve this, not only the authorities won't have to spend a penny to catch people anymore, but the people themselves will pay for the cell phone and the service to get shafted !

Suddenly, I'm glad I drive a 30 year old car without On-Star, GPS or cell phone.

Cool art car!

[griffjon]

Bystander: "Cool art car!"

ClueStick Owner: "Dude, it's not an 'art car' it's a Farraday cage protecting my car from being tracked with a mounted trafficcamera-flashing laser system and highly reflective paint coatings on the license plates to reduce resolution..."

Bystander: "huh?"

ClueStick Owner: "Here's a tin foil hat. Have fun."