Chicago Arterial Street Congestion Estimates from Bus GPS Traces

Historical records from February 28, 2018, to September 8, 2023, contain estimated congestion for over 1,000 traffic segments across approximately 300 miles of Chicago's principal arterial streets. The Chicago Transit Authority and the City of Chicago generate these estimates by continuously analyzing GPS traces from buses, producing congestion data every 10 minutes.

Use Cases

• Predict segment-level SPEED based on HOUR, DAY_OF_WEEK, and STREET using time-series forecasting models.
• Analyze correlation between BUS_COUNT or MESSAGE_COUNT and observed SPEED fluctuations on specific SEGMENT_IDs.
• Cluster traffic patterns by Community Areas or Zip Codes using SPEED, TIME, and DIRECTION data to identify high-congestion zones.
• Model the impact of STREET_HEADING and LENGTH on congestion volatility for route optimization.
• Assess temporal trends in congestion by aggregating SPEED data by MONTH and YEAR across Wards.

Strengths

• Covers over 1,000 traffic segments across approximately 300 miles of arterial streets.
• Provides temporal granularity with estimates produced every 10 minutes.
• Includes multiple geographic references per record: START_LOCATION, END_LOCATION, Wards, Zip Codes, Community Areas.

Limitations

• Dataset covers only arterial streets, excluding freeway traffic data.
• High volatility in segment-level SPEED data may complicate model training, as noted in the description.
• Temporal coverage ends in September 2023, limiting analysis of recent traffic conditions.

Provenance

Source

City of Chicago via data.cityofchicago.org.

Collection Method

Generated by continuously monitoring and analyzing GPS traces from Chicago Transit Authority buses.

Time Range

February 28, 2018 to September 8, 2023.

Freshness

Data last updated on platform in March 2026, but historical records end in September 2023.

Geography

Chicago, Illinois, USA, focusing on arterial streets.