Traveler Information for Media Outlets

Periodic traffic reports are a staple of drive-time radio. Every few minutes, a reporter tells drivers about incidents (such as a workzone, a traffic accident, or a special event) that are affecting traffic conditions. The reporter compiles his or her report based on several sources - including public sector officials, cellular callers, probe vehicles equipped with GPS units, and traffic cameras. By integrating information from all of these sources, the reporter can determine the location and cause of traffic congestion.

The Trichord Traffic Viewer™ - a product that has been designed with the aid of some of the most experienced traffic reporters in the country - can now deliver detailed, precise real-time traffic information right to the traffic reporter's desktop. Through a public-private partnership with the Virginia Department of Transportation, Trichord collects and integrates speed data from over 140 publicly and privately-owned traffic sensors located on highways throughout Northern Virginia, and displays it via the Trichord Traffic Viewer™.

The Trichord Traffic Viewer™ can help traffic reporters confirm the information that they receive from anecdotal sources. The reporter can determine not only the location and cause of congestion, but also what effect it is having on commuters' travel times along the road segment. The Incident Management Toolbox allows the reporter to continually update information on the incident as the rush hour progresses - providing a powerful tool to collate and track all of the information that he or she is receiving from various other sources.

The centerpiece of the software's user-friendly interface is a color-coded "congestion map" that provides "at-a-glance" access to traffic speeds. The map allows users to create customized "pre-set views," so that they may quickly zoom in on frequent "hot spots" (such as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge or the I-95 / I-495 interchange). Users may also enter, store, and update incident information and set speed alerts to call attention to serious changes in traffic flow. Users can calculate point-to-point travel times - from one exit to another along the Beltway, for example. Finally, the Trichord Traffic Viewer™ accesses historic traffic data, allowing the user to determine how the current travel time compares to the average over the most recent 30-day period.


The Trichord Traffic Viewer™

The Trichord Traffic Viewer™ provides the following benefits:

  • Real-time traffic data, updated every minute

  • Precise speed data and point-to-point travel times

  • "At-a-glance" access to regional traffic speeds

  • Customizable speed alerts that call attention to significant changes in traffic conditions.

  • Data archive allows comparison of current travel times to historical 30-day average.

  • Software designed for "producer-reporter" relationship - producer can enter information and reporter can customize his or her application on the desktop

  • Password-protected access facilitates cooperative traffic reporting - groups of stations or reporters can share information among themselves

  • Availability of traffic data during periods of inclement weather - when many cameras cannot see what is happening

  • Availability of traffic data during periods of heightened security - when flight restrictions prevent aircraft from flying over some locations

To download a 2-page brochure on the Trichord Traffic Viewer™, click here. For more details, and to see screenshots, click here.