Reports Help

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Overview

The Travel Midwest site provides you with a number of reports to help you make your travel decisions. Each report displays a particular type of data and is organized as a series of tables, one for each location. The locations are either a given expressway in a given direction (for expressway reports) or a given county (for arterial reports). On the left side of the report page is a list of links for the available locations that you can select to display the corresponding tables. Some report pages also have a legend above the list of location links to indicate the meaning of symbols used in that report. The contents of each report are described below.

Report Locations

When you navigate to a report page from a menu item on the "reports" menu, the tables for the locations that you have selected on the MyTravel page are displayed. The My Travel Help page describes how to use the My Travel page. If you have not selected any preferences, then no tables are displayed initially. To display a different set of tables, select from the location links on the left side of the page. For example, if you select "I-90" under "Illinois", the tables for eastbound and westbound I-90 in Illinois are displayed.

The figure on the left below shows the top of the list of location links. Selecting "My Travel Preferences" displays the tables for your preferred locations, selecting "Entire Region" displays every table, and selecting "Illinois" displays all the tables for locations in Illinois. The location links under the header "Regional" are for roads that traverse more than one state in the Travel Midwest coverage area. Use these links if you are traveling a long distance or are crossing a state line and would like to see the information for that entire roadway. Many expressways in the Chicago area have both a numeric designation (e.g., I-55 or Interstate 55) and a name (e.g., Stevenson Expressway). In this case, the location link for the expressway name is indented below the corresponding numeric designation, in order along each interstate. You may use whichever gives you the information you need. Note that when you select "Entire Region" or "Illinois" some items will be duplicated, e.g. in both the tables for "I-55 NB" and "Stevenson NB".

Next to "Regional" and each state name is an arrow icon that you can use to collapse or expand the list of location links for that category to make it easier to access the information you desire. When the arrow points down, the location links are visible and when it points to the right they are hidden. The figure in the center below shows the list after the icons next to "Regional" and "Illinois" have been clicked, which makes it easier to access the links for the other three states. The Travel Midwest site now has more data about events and devices on arterial highways. This information is grouped by county on the report pages. For example, clicking on "Indiana Arterials" in the middle figure below displays all the information in Indiana with a table for each county. Clicking the arrow icon next to "Indiana Arterials" expands that heading to give the figure on the right below, which allows viewing the data for a given county only.

The Travel Midwest site keeps track of which locations are expanded and collapsed as you click on various locations on the report page. When you go to another report page, that configuration is maintained.

Report Links

Each of the report pages has a group of links at the top of the page that provide direct access to the other reports for the report location being displayed. These links allow you to view all the traffic conditions, events, and devices for a given report location without having to select that location again on the next report, as you would if you used the "reports" menu items.

Travel Times Report

The Travel Time Report gives approximate travel times along major expressways between predefined points.

The items on the Travel Times Report are as follows:

1. Updated Time - the date and time the information in the report was last received, which does not indicate the last update of all information on the report
2. Reports Help - a link to this page for viewing help on the report
3. Report Links - links to other reports for the report location being displayed
4. Show Heavy Congestion Only - selecting this checkbox displays only the road segments with heavy congestion for the location you are viewing; deselecting it displays all road segments
5. Congestion Legend - the meanings of the congestion colors used on the report; if you have difficulty distinguishing the congestion colors on the map and reports, you can click on the ADA icon next to "Uncongested" to open a window that lets you set the color used for "Uncongested" to blue, which is easier to distinguish from the red for "Heavy" and the grey for "Unknown"; clicking on the "info" icon displays a detailed description of the congestion levels
6. Location List - the locations the user can click on to select the tables displayed in the report
7. Location Name - the name of the expressway or county for this table
8. Congestion Status - a general measure of the congestion for the location associated with this entry
9. From - the start of the section for which travel time information is provided, usually an exit from an expressway or a major cross road
10. To - the end of the section for which the travel time information is provided
11. Travel Time - the time in minutes calculated by the Travel Midwest site for travel on the expressway between the From and To streets; if the travel time is 50% greater than the average or more, the travel time is displayed in red
12. Average Travel Time - the average travel time in minutes for this time of day and day of week; clicking on this value opens a window displaying the Travel Midwest Stats web site where you can compare the current travel time on that road segment against several years of historical data
13. Distance - the distance in miles along the expressway between the From and To streets
14. Speed - the average speed in miles per hour along the roadway, which will in all likelihood not be constant along the entire length of the section

Congestion Report

The Congestion Report shows where congested areas are along the expressway.

The items on the Congestion Report are as follows:

1. Updated Time - the date and time the information in the report was last received, which does not indicate the last update of all information on the report
2. Reports Help - a link to this page for viewing help on the report
3. Report Links - links to other reports for the report location being displayed
4. Show Heavy Congestion Only - selecting this checkbox displays only the road segments with heavy congestion for the location you are viewing; deselecting it displays all road segments
5. Congestion Legend - the meanings of the congestion colors used on the report; if you have difficulty distinguishing the congestion colors on the map and reports, you can click on the ADA icon next to "Uncongested" to open a window that lets you set the color used for "Uncongested" to blue, which is easier to distinguish from the red for "Heavy" and the grey for "Unknown"; clicking on the "info" icon displays a detailed description of the congestion levels
6. Location List - the locations the user can click on to select the tables displayed in the report
7. Location Name - the name of the expressway or county for this table
8. Congestion Status - a general measure of the congestion for the location associated with this entry
9. From - the cross street at the start of the section for which congestion information is provided, with an offset from the cross street in miles (positive values are in the direction of travel)
10. To - the cross street at the end of the section for which the congestion information is provided, with an offset from the cross street in miles (positive values are in the direction of travel)
11. Distance - the distance in miles of the section for which the congestion information is provided

Incident Report

The Incident Report shows the location of traffic-related incidents that have been reported to the Travel Midwest site.

The items on the Incident Report are as follows:

1. Updated Time - the date and time the information in the report was last received, which does not indicate the last update of all information on the report
2. Reports Help - a link to this page for viewing help on the report
3. Report Links - links to other reports for the report location being displayed
4. Location List - the locations the user can click on to select the tables displayed in the report
5. Location Name - the name of the expressway or county for this table
6. Description - a brief description of the incident
7. Location - a nearby cross road for an expressway report, the road on which the incident occurred and a nearby cross road for a county report; clicking on the location opens a window displaying a map zoomed to the incident location
8. Mile Marker - the mile marker at which the incident occurred (blank for arterials)
9. Closure Details - which lanes are blocked, if known
10. Status - the current status of the incident, "New" implies the incident has just been reported and "Updated" indicates that additional information was recently received
11. Start Time - the estimated time that the incident occurred
12. End Time - the estimated time that the incident will be cleared
13. Source - the agency that reported the incident to the Travel Midwest site

Construction Report

The Construction Report shows the location of construction and other maintenance work that has been reported to the Travel Midwest site.

The items on the Construction Report are as follows:

1. Updated Time - the date and time the information in the report was last received, which does not indicate the last update of all information on the report
2. Reports Help - a link to this page for viewing help on the report
3. Report Links - links to other reports for the report location being displayed
4. Location List - the locations the user can click on to select the tables displayed in the report
5. Location Name - the name of the expressway or county for this table
6. Location - a nearby cross road or start and end cross roads for an expressway report, the road on which the construction will take place and a nearby cross road or start and end cross roads for a county report; clicking on the location opens a window displaying a map zoomed to the construction location
7. Mile Marker - the mile marker or range of mile markers at which the construction will take place (blank for arterials)
8. Severity - the effect on traffic of the construction ("Major", "Medium", or "Minor")
9. Closure Details - which lanes and shoulders are closed, shifted, etc.
10. Time Periods - the scheduled date(s) and time(s) the construction will occur (an estimate based on schedules provided to the Travel Midwest site by government agencies)
11. Source - the agency which reported the construction activity to the Travel Midwest site
12. Description - a description of the activity which is occurring (if provided)

Camera Report

The Camera Report shows information about video cameras in the region that are reported to the Travel Midwest site, including the most recent image from each camera.

The items on the Camera Snapshot Report are as follows:

1. Updated Time - the date and time the information in the report was last received, which does not indicate the last update of all information on the report
2. Reports Help - a link to this page for viewing help on the report
3. Report Links - links to other reports for the report location being displayed
4. Location List - the location list on the Camera Report gives only those locations with cameras
5. Location Name - the name of the expressway for this table
6. Thumbnail - a thumbnail of the most recent image available from the camera; click on the thumbnail to view a larger image together with reference views from the camera.
7. Location - the location of the camera
8. Image Age - the age of the most recent image available from the camera

Special Event Report

The Special Event Report shows the location of events that have been reported to the Travel Midwest site which may affect traffic. The Special Event Report has the same format as the Construction Report.

Detector Report

The Detector Report shows the readings from vehicle detectors that are reported to the Travel Midwest site.

The items on the Detector Report are as follows:

1. Updated Time - the date and time the information in the report was last received, which does not indicate the last update of all information on the report
2. Reports Help - a link to this page for viewing help on the report
3. Report Links - links to other reports for the report location being displayed
4. Status Legend - the meanings of the status symbols used in the report
5. Location List - the locations the user can click on to select the tables displayed in the report
6. Location Name - the name of the expressway or county for this table
7. Status - The operational status of the detector (does not represent the traffic conditions at the detector)
8. Nearest Cross Street - the nearest cross street to the detector, with an offset from the cross street in miles (positive values are in the direction of travel)
9. Speed - the calculated speed of traffic passing within the range of the detector (can be affected by weather conditions and other factors and may not be completely accurate)
10. Occupancy - the percentage of time that the detector registers a vehicle within its detection range (higher percentages mean more vehicles are on the roadway or that vehicles are spending more time in the detection area)
11. Volume - the number of vehicles per hour per lane (detection ranges may include multiple lanes)
12. Source - the agency that reported the detector data to the Travel Midwest site

Dynamic Message Sign (DMS) Report

The Dynamic Message Sign Report shows the text being displayed on dynamic message signs in the region that are reported to the Travel Midwest site.

The items on the Dynamic Message Sign Report are as follows:

1. Updated Time - the date and time the information in the report was last received, which does not indicate the last update of all information on the report
2. Reports Help - a link to this page for viewing help on the report
3. Report Links - links to other reports for the report location being displayed
4. Status Legend - the meanings of the status symbols used in the report
5. Location List - the locations the user can click on to select the tables displayed in the report
6. Location Name - the name of the expressway or county for this table
7. Message - the text currently displayed on the sign; if the sign is cycling between two messages, they are both displayed as on the sign for US-6 above
8. Location - a nearby cross street for an expressway report, the road on which the sign is located and a nearby cross street for a county report, with an offset from the cross street in miles (positive values are in the direction of travel)
9. Status - the operational status of the message sign
10. Source - the agency that reported the message sign data to the Travel Midwest site

The Customizable Traveler Report

The Travel Time Report displays approximate travel times along predefined expressway sections, as reported to the Travel Midwest system by its contributing agencies. The Customizable Traveler Report uses detector readings and other data to calculate up-to-date approximate travel times along an expressway section of your choosing. It also shows incidents and construction on that section. Selecting a location for the Customizable Traveler Report is slightly different than for the other reports because you must also select a direction. For this reason, the location links on the left side of the page list the roadway directions as well as the expressway names, and the directions are links (see the left side of the figure below). In addition, the state names are not links and the arterials and county links are not present in the list. (The expand/collapse arrows on the state names work as they do on the other reports.) When you click on a direction in the links on the left of the page, a form is displayed that allows you to select the start and end point of the section you are interested in on that expressway. For example, if you select Edens NB, the page appears as follows:

The items on the Customizable Traveler Report with a location selected are as follows:

1. Updated Time - the date and time the information in the report was last received, which does not indicate the last update of all information on the report
2. Reports Help - a link to this page for viewing help on the report
3. Report Links - links to other reports for the report location being displayed
4. Location List - the locations the user can click on to select the expressway and direction displayed in the report; note that the directions (e.g., "NB" and "SB") are links and the road names are not
5. Select Start and End Points - a form with drop-lists for selecting the start and end cross streets for the desired section of the selected expressway (Edens NB, in this case), and a "Select" button to display the information; typically, the cross streets are points along the expressway at which there is an entrance or exit

When start and end points are selected, the Customizable Traveler Report displays a table showing the travel time from the selected start cross street to each cross street until the selected end cross street. Each row also displays additional information about the segment between that cross street and its predecessor in the table. Suppose that in the above figure, the user selects "Touhy Ave" as the start cross street and "IL-68 (Dundee Rd)" as the end cross street, and then presses "Select". A report like the following is displayed:

The additional items on the Customizable Traveler Report displayed when start and end points are selected are as follows:

6. Start Cross Street - the selected start cross street for the report
7. End Cross Street - the selected end cross street for the report
8. Congestion Legend - the meanings of the congestion colors used on the report; if you have difficulty distinguishing the congestion colors on the map and reports, you can click on the ADA icon next to "Uncongested" to open a window that lets you set the color used for "Uncongested" to blue, which is easier to distinguish from the red for "Heavy" and the grey for "Unknown"; clicking on the "info" icon displays a detailed description of the congestion levels
9. Location Name - the name and direction of the expressway for this table
10. Cross Street - the cross street for which a travel time from the start point is selected
11. Mile Marker - the mile marker of the cross street, if any
12. Congestion Status - a general measure of the congestion for the segment between the cross street and its predecessor
13. Speed - the average speed in miles per hour for the segment between the cross street and its predecessor, which will in all likelihood not be constant along the entire length of the section
14. Travel Time From Start - the time in minutes calculated by the Travel Midwest site for travel on the expressway from the start cross street to this cross street
15. Incident End Time - if there is an incident on the segment between the cross street and its predecessor, the estimated end time of that incident; the time is also a link to the Incident Report displaying that incident; if there is more than one incident on that segment, the most severe is displayed
16. Incident Severity - if there is an incident on the segment between the cross street and its predecessor, the severity of that incident; the severity is also a link to the Incident Report displaying that incident
17. Construction End Time - if there is roadwork on the segment between the cross street and its predecessor, the estimated end time of that roadwork; the time is also a link to the Construction Report displaying that roadwork; if there is more than one roadwork on that segment, the most severe is displayed
18. Construction Severity - if there is roadwork on the segment between the cross street and its predecessor, the severity of that roadwork; the severity is also a link to the Construction Report displaying that roadwork

There are expressway sections for which there is no detection equipment or for which the equipment is not functioning. In this case, travel times cannot be computed, so the Customizable Traveler Report displays the travel time from the first point possible. For example, there is no equipment on I-57 south of 167th street. If you select I-57 NB and then select "US-30 (Lincoln Hwy)" as the start cross street and "IL-1 (Halsted St)" as the end cross street, a report like the following is displayed:

In the above figure, there is a note to the user about the lack of detection below the form, and the congestion level, speed, and travel time from start for the first three cross streets is unknown. (Incidents and roadwork on those segments can still be displayed.) The values in the Travel Time From Start column are followed by an asterisk referring to the note above the table stating that Travel Time From Start values are measured from 167th St.

The Chicago Quick Traffic Report

The items on this report are as follows:

1. Report time - the oldest date of any data shown on the report
2. Expressway - the expressway for which travel time information is being reported; click on the expressway name to view the Travel Time Report for that expressway
3. Travel Time Segment - the direction and extent for which travel time and speed are given
4. Travel time - the travel time for the given expressway in minutes; click on the travel time for more detailed information
5. Speed - the average speed for the given expressway in miles per hour

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Sat May 18 22:27:57 CDT 2013