Greene Publishing, Inc. Photo By Rick Patrick, September 23, 2016
Traffic monitors such as this one on I-75 near Valdosta will be on I-10 in the next two to three years. These monitors use bluetooth technology to track traffic patterns.
Rick Patrick - Greene Publishing, Inc.
Dotted along the country's interstates and other highways one can see tall poles with solar panels on the tops and metal boxes on the sides. These odd looking posts are actually traffic monitors that use bluetooth technology to track traffic patterns and speeds. Called “Bluetoad” by the manufacturer that makes these monitors, they work by picking up a unique signal from any cell phone or other similar device that emits a radio signal.
According to Pete Vega, the program director for the Florida Department of Transportation Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), every cell phone or similar device has a unique Media Access Control (MAC) code. This code is like a fingerprint for that particular device. As a vehicle passes a Bluetoad monitor, the monitor reads that MAC code from any cell phones, etc., that may be in that vehicle. When that same vehicle passes another Bluetoad monitor, the information is compared between the two monitors. That information can be used to determine traffic patterns, how fast traffic is moving, etc. That information can be valuable to the Department of Transportation when planning for future road construction or maintenance or when planning for emergency evacuations such as before a hurricane. “[The Bluetoad] doesn't track drivers, it tracks devices,” said Vega. The part of the MAC code that is monitored does not contain any personal information about the owner, therefore a cell phone owner's personal information is still secure.
Eventually, District 2 (which includes Madison County) of the Florida Department of Transportation plans to implement these monitors along I-10 from Jacksonville to Tallahassee. The full implementation is still two and a half to three years away.