Caltrans clocking local drive times via mobile devices

Caltrans has set up travel time billboards around South Lake Tahoe.

Using Bluetooth technology, readers along the highway collect data from mobile devices and transfer that data to a server to determine how long it takes vehicles to travel from one reader to another. This information can then be used to display travel times on the highway electronic message boards from South Lake Tahoe to Placerville. Personal information will not be collected, according to Caltrans.

Caltrans said the project was initiated from a request by the city to provide travel times to Echo Summit, and other destinations, so visitors may make better-informed decisions on their travel.