Coming Monday

The Missouri Department of Transportation is getting ready to launch the largest project of its kind to date — using signals from peoples’ cell phones to monitor and map, real time, traffic conditions statewide.

The technology uses frequent signals that wireless phones send to towers and follows the movements of the phones, then overlays that data with highway maps to determine where the phones are and how fast they’re moving.

Supporters envision a time when electronic road signs are updated automatically and text messages on traffic jams are dispatched to auto dashboards. Others, however, worry about the Big Brother aspect of such cell phone monitoring.

Read more about monitoring and motoring in Technology Monday.