Trafficcast

TrafficCast’s BlueTOAD™ in Chicago

Office of Emergency Management & Communications Evaluates Bluetooth Monitoring for Travel Time Calculation and Vehicle Behaviors

MADISON, WI January 25, 2010 – TrafficCast International, Inc., with the cooperation of the City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management & Communications, has completed an evaluation deployment of BlueTOAD™, (Bluetooth Travel-time Origination And Destination) on Archer Avenue, from the Stevenson Expressway to Midway Airport, in an evaluation of new traffic monitoring technology that traces anonymous Bluetooth signals to determine travel times and road speeds. 

Introduced in June, BlueTOAD tags anonymous mobile device identifications used to connect Bluetooth technologies such as “hands-free” headsets and audio syncing and calculates travel time by analysis of timestamps on subsequent tags in passing vehicles.  The Chicago OEM&C evaluated BlueTOAD as a cost-effective way to supplement or replace existing road sensors to evaluate travel times and vehicle movements.

BlueTOAD demonstrated its value in accurately measuring travel times, recognizing slow downs and capturing road conditions on one of Chicago’s most densely travelled arterial roadways.  With four units rapidly deployed over the 4.5-mile stretch, BlueTOAD also showed promise in identifying backup queues at intersections, which could facilitate more responsive traffic signal sequencing in the future.

“We’ve been pleased to be working with the Chicago OEM&C, one of the most innovative agencies in the country, in one of our first public trials of BlueTOAD,” said Neal Campbell, CEO of TrafficCast.  “While Bluetooth is a relatively new technology for transportation operations and planning, its components are already proven in the cellular space and so can deliver cost-effective value to transportation managers.”

“The City of Chicago is always looking for innovative ways to enhance the reliability and safety of our roads for our drivers,” commented David Zavattero, Deputy Director, Office of Emergency Management and Communications.  “We look forward to working with TrafficCast in evaluating BlueTOAD as a potential tool to support travel information and safe driving conditions.”

TrafficCast’s adoption of Bluetooth employs a novel, patent-pending implementation based upon industry-leading, mobile-device hardware and software platforms.   Based upon the BlueTOAD platform configuration, TrafficCast projects significant cost savings over comparable technologies for real-time traffic monitoring, with minimum disruption to existing road infrastructure.  BlueTOAD units can operate independently through solar power and cellular communications, minimizing carbon footprints as well.

With BlueTOAD, travel time is sampled directly and anonymously from device movements, and can sort through the implications of vehicle movements in congested road segments.  More broadly, BlueTOAD data integrates with TrafficCast’s comprehensive road speed data product, Dynaflow 2.0, and market-tested for unprecedented coverage, accuracy and reliability.