If you've had your cell phone on while driving around Baltimore over the past six months, you've probably been part of an experiment. The state is testing a Multi-Modal Travelers Information System that takes information from cell phones - whether they're in use or not - and translates it to speed and volume/congestion information. The system was developed by Delcan, a Canadian company that is picking up the lion's share of the cost of the two-year test program. In fact, Maryland is paying nothing at all for what it will eventually get out of this. Delcan is paying $3.7 million of the $5.7 million cost and the rest is coming via grants from the feds and a regional transportation consortium. Ultimately, the state highway folks will use this information to tell where there are problems, and it will likely be sold directly to consumers. Delcan says it will continue the project after the testing period ends by making it "self-sufficient," which I think is a euphemism for a fee to either the state or the consumer.