Cell phones facilitate quicker traffic updates

Missouri Department of Transportation on Dec. 2 secured a contract with National Engineering Technology Corp. to collect cell phone data to monitor traffic flow – a new method expected to save the department millions of dollars.

Beginning in February, MoDOT will receive cell phone transmissions from drivers on Missouri’s 5,500 busiest miles of roads, mostly interstates and numbered routes.

Any phone that is turned on sends constant signals to the nearest cell tower, and by timing how long it takes a signal to get from one tower to the next, a driver’s travel time and average speed can be determined. Those factors will indicate congested areas of traffic and warn motorists of delayed travel.

By August, traffic information will be posted on a Web site and, later, on electronic message boards that will display travel times to specific destinations.

“In effect, we’re equipping Missouri travelers to do their own traffic management,” said MoDOT Director Pete Rahn in a news release. “They’ll have some of the same tools we have and can receive the latest traffic data either before they leave their homes or as they’re driving.”

All cell phone information received will be completely anonymous. No calls will be monitored, and no phone numbers or customer names will be identified, according to the release.

Current methods to monitor traffic flow include cameras at high-traffic areas and sensors embedded in pavement. The new system costs $6.2 million for two years, about one-sixth the long-term cost of traditional methods.

The collected data also will aid MoDOT in determining future highway improvements.