Traffic congestion reporting sites.

[p12]

Where do these sites get their data. They seem to be fairly accurate. Only lagging by a couple of minutes. These sites also report on rual roads as well. I never seen traffic cameras on these roads.

Are satalites being used for this?

[Scout26]

Here in Chicago there are detectors embedded in certain roads.  Other than that, I'd have to guess satellites. 

[Tallpine]

Where do these sites get their data. They seem to be fairly accurate. Only lagging by a couple of minutes. These sites also report on rual roads as well. I never seen traffic cameras on these roads.

Are satalites being used for this?

I don't think they do our rural road.

If so it would look something like:
There are cows on the road just around the corner from the old corral by the windmill.

 

[Pharmacology]

Where do these sites get their data. They seem to be fairly accurate. Only lagging by a couple of minutes. These sites also report on rual roads as well. I never seen traffic cameras on these roads.
Are satalites being used for this?

I was thinking about this the other day as I sat in a traffic jam on 35.

Check it out:

http://blogs.howstuffworks.com/2009/05/27/how-do-google-traffic-maps-work/

The article says that it's all sensors and data.

A commenter also says that it has to do with crowd sourcing from people actually using the map app.

[Perd Hapley]

I thought all the data came from NSA.

[Tallpine]

I thought all the data came from NSA.

Well, that and the USDA.  They know where all the cows are.   

[vaskidmark]

Google just bought WAZE for a cool billion+.

WAZE has perhaps the largest social network in the world, with something like 30% of users also submitting reports of traffic, accident, or speed trap location.

It also, IMHO, has a better navigation system because it "learns" based on user input.  As an example, after 2 reports of a red light camera it will try to navigate folks around the camera rather than through it.  A road that has recently been put in?  Report it and get taken to their mapping app so you can enter it into the database.  A few more reports will refine it as nicely as if the national geodedic survey has done the mapping.  And best of all, driving directions to London do include where to get on and off the ferry rather than being routed through the future site of the trans-Atlantic underwater bridge.

stay safe.