Google Maps gets real-time traffic info

Posted by The Technocrat | Filed under Home & Auto, Web

traffic.jpgHere in Chicago, there are magnetic sensors in the interstates surrounding the Chicagoland area.  I saw a special on TV once showing the central system, it was pretty cool.  The sensors report in to a central machine, and update a display every 2 seconds or so to show traffic flow.  By knowing how many vehicles travel through a given set of checkpoints over a given amount of time, they can estimate average speed, and assume that slow traffic (like 30 mph) means a traffic jam.

Originally meant for emergency crews, this information has been used to give real-time traffic reports to the public.  The best site I’ve seen that uses this info (at least in Chicago) is the one over at gcmtravel.com.  I like it, because not only are you able to look up traffic conditions, but you can look up historical traffic statistics.  This doesn;t sound like much, until you realize that if you look at the data, you can save (and I do) over 15-20 minutes in the car by shifting your departure time as little as 5 minutes.  This is accomplished by timing your travel so you’re not in the congested sections of highway when they traditionally have problems.

The problem in the past has been that I’ve had to look up directions, then go look up traffic.  Not anymore!  Google maps now offers the same color-coded type of traffic information that I’m used to, and it looks like it’s a great value-add for the Maps service.

Suggestions:

  • change the travel times based on traffic conditions (might do this already, but I can’t tell)
  • suggest other departure times to minimize exposure to historical traffic hotspots (this might be in a special pop-out or something…  “Commute planner” or whatever…)

All in all, great job, maps team.  Yet another example of the success of a value-added feature that rivals the value of an entirely new service, all while leveraging an existing product/user base.

CC photo by Douglas – westbound

Comments (0) | February 28th, 2007

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