ChiTraffic Insights

Analytical Dashboard

An in-depth look at Chicago's traffic patterns and performance, powered by AI-driven analysis.

Average vs. Maximum Traffic
This chart reveals the volatility of traffic on Chicago's most congested streets. The blue bar represents the daily average traffic, while the red extension shows the peak congestion level. A large red segment indicates high unpredictability and a significant gap between typical and worst-case conditions, often leading to commuter frustration. Streets like S Lake Shore Dr show extreme variability, making them prime candidates for dynamic traffic management solutions.
Traffic Consistency on Most Congested Streets
Consistency is key to a reliable commute. This chart displays the standard deviation of traffic levels, where a lower bar signifies more predictable traffic patterns. High variability (a taller bar) suggests erratic congestion, making it difficult for drivers to plan their journeys. Streets with low consistency scores are often those most impacted by non-recurring events like accidents or construction, highlighting a need for better incident response systems.
Top 10 Most Congested Streets
Here are the chronic arteries of congestion in Chicago. This chart ranks the top 10 streets by their average traffic levels. These are the corridors where interventions could have the most significant impact on the city's overall traffic health. N Michigan Ave and W Randolph St consistently top the list, indicating they are central to daily bottlenecks.
Regional Speed Performance
Traffic performance isn't uniform across the city. This visualization breaks down average speeds by region, revealing geographic disparities. While some areas like Fuller-Grand Blvd maintain higher speeds, others like the West Town-Near West area lag behind. This insight can help allocate resources for infrastructure improvements to the areas that need them most.
Hourly Congestion Trends
This chart illustrates the daily rhythm of Chicago's traffic. It clearly shows the morning and evening rush hours, with congestion peaking around 8 AM and 5 PM. The midday dip offers a window for less-disruptive travel and logistical operations. Understanding this 24-hour cycle is fundamental for implementing time-based strategies like dynamic tolling or adjusting traffic signal timing.
Congestion by Direction
Traffic flow has a directional bias. This chart shows that Eastbound and Westbound routes experience significantly more congestion than Northbound and Southbound ones. This often relates to commuter patterns, such as morning traffic heading into the central business district (the Loop) and evening traffic heading out, suggesting that solutions should be tailored to specific directional flows.
Speed Distribution
How much of the city is moving slowly? This chart categorizes road segments by speed. A significant portion (15%) is classified as 'Very Slow' (<15mph), representing critical bottlenecks. The goal of traffic management should be to shift the distribution to the right, increasing the percentage of 'Moderate' and 'Fast' segments and reducing the share of 'Slow' ones.
Key Metrics Overview
This chart provides a high-level summary of the network's vital signs. By displaying disparate metrics like speed, congestion, and the number of streets on a logarithmic scale, it allows for a quick comparison of overall system performance. It serves as a starting point to identify which broader area (e.g., speed vs. number of congested segments) requires deeper investigation.