Visualizing large scale vehicle traffic network data a survey of the state-of-the-art

Analyzing and improving large urban traffic networks is a difficult process due to complex interrelationships between the many variables that impact vehicle traffic behavior. Information visualization techniques can facilitate the tasks of analyzing large amounts of data and of exploring potential solutions to practical traffic problems. Surprisingly, there is a relative lack of investigation focused on how information visualization techniques should be applied and adapted to the field of Traffic Engineering. This paper presents an overview of what has been done on this topic by reviewing the use of information visualization in traffic systems over the years, and highlighting the current state-of-the-art by focusing on several innovative pieces of research. We provide a classification of the reviewed work and identify areas that have been understudied.