Detection and Estimation of Road Congestion Using Cellular Phones

This research proposes the methodology of detection and estimation of road congestion using cellular phones. We survey the road that is well-known as one of the most congested roads in Bangkok, Thailand. In our survey, we collect two kinds of information, Cell Dwell Time (CDT) using a cellular phone and velocity and position using Global Position System (GPS). To categorize CDT according to Cell Coverage Area (CCA), we have also collected Local Area Code (LAC) and Cell ID. We collect data into "Green" survey and "Red" survey, and analyze the data using two models: Junction model and Link model. The results have shown that there is significant difference between the two surveys. However, the accuracy of traffic flow estimation is tentatively decreased as the CCA size is decreased.