Generating Route-Specific Origin–Destination Tables Using Bluetooth Technology

Abstract

Bluetooth media access control (MAC) data collection technology has emerged as a forerunner in the suite of passive data collection techniques used in travel time and origin–destination (O-D) data collection efforts because of its low cost, ease of implementation, and richness of the resultant data set. With a few notable exceptions, the majority of published research and practical applications of Bluetooth MAC data to date have focused on travel speed analysis. This paper aims to add to the existing literature on Bluetooth O-D data research by describing an analytic approach used to develop route-specific O-D tables for a 15-mi corridor in Jacksonville, Florida. The data from this project were successfully used as an after-model validation tool for base and future year toll revenue forecasts. Bluetooth MAC data were shown to provide a robust and rich data set capable of providing insight into the travel patterns of users in a corridor that would not be easily or efficiently achieved with other data collection methods. The paper also seeks to provide practical guidance and insight into successfully deploying and analyzing Bluetooth MAC data.