Intelligent traffic monitoring system using wireless cellular communications

We report on a feasibility study conducted to demonstrate a cost-effective and efficient method using handoffs in wireless cellular communications for monitoring traffic flow, predicting congestion and collecting transportation planning data. The algorithm uses handoff information to estimate the average speed of the cars and their locations. It was tested on a model network (street map overlaid on cellular coverage map) by simulating different traffic conditions such as normal and congested traffic flows. The simulation results showed that the system was able to successfully find the location of the mobile vehicle in a relatively short time and accurately estimate the average speed. The results are currently being validated using real data collected during field trials.