Twitter feeds used for Dynamic Message Signs

[codyg1985]

I had a dream a while back about there being dynamic message signs in my area which displayed messages from Twitter users who report on traffic. The DMSs would also have a little plaque below it saying to follow someone on Twitter. These tweets could be used in lieu of data from the traffic data center if it provides more up-to-date information about a particular incident.

Is Twitter used directly in conjunction with Dynamic Message Signs anywhere in the US or elsewhere? It would be very effective in quickly disseminating information to motorists that don't have Twitter pulled up on their phones while driving (which they shouldn't!).

[algorerhythms]

That sounds like it could go very wrong very quickly...

[Scott5114]

@vms202572:lol butts

[Alps]

I read an interesting study on all the different algorithms used to detect traffic incidents. You have several detectors placed on the road, you detect speeds, volumes, occupancy (% of time the sensor is blocked by a car), etc. at each one, you figure out if there's a problem based on sudden volume or speed drops, occupancy increases, or whatever, and there are various algorithms to detect false alarms. The conclusions of multiple studies were the same: the single most effective reporting mechanism - both the fastest time of alert and the most reliability/lowest false alarm rate - was...


Wait for it...


People reporting incidents on their cell phones. They said that the best way to manage incidents is basically to do nothing with technology, and keep responding to callers. When you get enough people together, they function as a machine. (Just like traffic flows like a liquid once you have enough cars in the mix.)

[hbelkins]

People reporting incidents on their cell phones. They said that the best way to manage incidents is basically to do nothing with technology, and keep responding to callers. When you get enough people together, they function as a machine. (Just like traffic flows like a liquid once you have enough cars in the mix.)

This sounds a lot like the Waze GPS app.

[cpzilliacus]

People reporting incidents on their cell phones. They said that the best way to manage incidents is basically to do nothing with technology, and keep responding to callers. When you get enough people together, they function as a machine. (Just like traffic flows like a liquid once you have enough cars in the mix.)

I have worked on several assignments that required me to be at truck weigh/inspection station in Maryland and Virginia, which means listening to a lot of the state police radio traffic.  When the dispatcher says "we've gotten numerous  calls on this" or "we're getting numerous calls," that means the incident (be it a crash, a vehicle fire or something else is probably a legitimate call).