Traffic data

Susan was trying to find some reasonable live map alternatives for the LA area. Her experience with the Caltrans Realtime Freeway Speed Map is interesting (yes, it's hard to use, but I think it might make a nice standalone application). I'd recently wandered into the LA/OC forum on DSL Reports (Broadband Reports? make up yer mind!) where I found some interesting map links.

Wondering what else was out there, I checked @LA, a long lived collection of LA regional links. I still go there when looking for data in hard to define categories hoping to find off the beaten track information sources (while looking for traffic information I found a nice example: Ventura Gas Prices where I wasn't surprised at the list of cheapest stations in town starting at $2.15 and working upward).

Both sites feature Sigalert.com. Another useful link is surface street traffic should you need to get somewhere specific.

I wonder why the sensor data isn't more easily available? If it is and I'm just having a hard time finding it, I apologize (and would appreciate a link). It does seem odd that I can find the raw data purchased from commercial satellites for public imagery more easily. I get the feeling that someone set up a fee system somewhere and now we're all stuck with it because the state found a profit point.

I also wonder if the instrumentation detail is high enough. Half a mile seems like a long way to go when waiting for new data on a fluid (like) system that can have eddies that last less than 200 yards. There isn't sufficient information to determine whether the loops can detect lane by lane traffic differences (important &mdash snaking lane behavior is common here in SoCal).