Through a survey of New York City taxis with GPS tracking devices, the city has created a database of speeds and routes that gives them a clear picture of the state of traffic in the city.
"Traffic in Manhattan has a rhythm all its own, and, according to a new study by the city, it is not quite the constant gridlock that it seems.
Using data from the GPS devices in all New York City cabs, officials tracked the routes of tens of millions of taxi trips over the past two years. The result: a database of speeds and travel routes that can be broken down by minute, month and neighborhood.
'It's like an M.R.I.,' said Bruce Schaller, a deputy transportation commissioner who supervised the city's study."
The data offers officials a look at where traffic problems have been occurring, and when they're likely to occur. Transportation officials are already using the data to tweak traffic along one of the city main arteries, according to this piece from The New York Times.
Read the full story: Gridlock May Not Be Constant, but Slow Going Is Here to Stay
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