lexluthor

Just saw this.

Official Google Blog: You’ve got better things to do than wait in traffic

I had noted only recently when the mapquest navigation app came out that if someone was able to include traffic calculations in their navigation app that they'd have the possibility of gaining some market share from google.

Too late. Google's now got it.

"You don’t have to do anything to be routed around traffic; just start Navigation like you normally would, either from the Navigation app or from within Google Maps. Before today, Navigation would choose whichever route was fastest, without taking current traffic conditions into account. It would also generate additional alternate directions, such as the shortest route or one that uses highways instead of side roads. Starting today, our routing algorithms will also apply our knowledge of current and historical traffic to select the fastest route from those alternates. That means that Navigation will automatically guide you along the best route given the current traffic conditions.

Not only can you save time and fuel, you’re making traffic better for everyone else by avoiding traffic jams. Keep in mind that we can’t guarantee that Navigation will be able to find a faster way, but it will always try to get you where you’re going as fast as possible."

I'd like to see a little more details about exactly how it works.

If I'm driving along on the highway with my next turn 20 miles ahead and google maps gets wind of an accident 5 miles down the road, will it all of a sudden tell me to get off the highway and rout me around the accident? If so, how often does it get new traffic data? Or does it only take into account the traffic at the time you create the route?

Based on their blog, I don't think the route changes as you are driving. The blog only refers to route selection at the time of creation.

Last edited by lexluthor; March 7th, 2011 at 01:34 PM.

B360155

Google Maps Navigation Update Routes Drivers Around Traffic Jams | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

Google hasn't said anything about it, but their new update Version 5.2.1 now takes their real time traffic information into account when using the navigation app to help you steer clear of traffic jams. Just find the icon for alternative routes (two arrows to a destination, one solid, one dotted) and it provides you with a total of 3 route options and estimated times for each.

God Dammit

It doesn't matter what version of Google Maps/Navigation you're using. The traffic rerouting is a backend server change on Google's end. The 5.2.1 update was a bug fix update to get the search feature in Maps to work again. With Google Maps 5.2, searching for a POI would do nothing except take you to your current location.

I agree that Google just doesn't seem to get it. People don't just want the initial route to be (nearly) traffic free, they want a GPS unit of some sort that constantly changes the route, if possible, every time a major traffic slowdown occurs.

boatman

I am not sure how this is working. I was just recently in NYC driving back to boston. Have a droid 1 original. Goes into car mode, i choose navigation. Enter in my destination.

Is it automatically picking the fastest route based on current traffic at the time? Cuase it sent me on a way that was not what I would have picked, but when I looked at the traffic, it seemed ok. However, it did not give me a choice of routes. Don't know if google maps would have done it differently than navigation mode, or if all the same.

javamann

How does it indicate heavy traffic? Is it the Red lines? Unless someone explains how this works it becomes useless!

flailer

Yes.

And you can confirm it yourself - first-hand - next time youre stuck in traffic
(yup, datz what i did; i had time to spare, just sitting there, and confirmed it)