Understanding traffic congestion and its causes has long been a challenge for transportation professionals. Collisions, work zones, and traffic signals all contribute, but the weather often plays a primary role, especially during peak seasonal rainfall or snowfall periods. These weather events can significantly impact reliability and travel time.
To address this challenge, the CATT Lab captures real-time precipitation data (type and intensity) from the National Weather Service. This data is then linked/conflated to specific roadway segments within the observed precipitation area. Additionally, the precipitation data is archived and is now available as an overlay within the Congestion Scan tool, delivering a rich data visualization of observed precipitation, along with key mobility performance measures.