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Improving GPS Systems with Traffic Flow Data

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the turn-left-at-the-gridlock dept.

An anonymous reader writes "According to a story in Technology Review, some GPS companies are factoring in traffic flow and time of day. From the article: 'Tele Atlas, a Boston-based company that provides digital maps and navigational content, has integrated new trafficking software into its map database so that drivers can find the most optimal route based on speed rather than distance — for any stretch of road at any hour of any day of the week.'"

2 of 82 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I know i posted already... But! by Fry-kun · · Score: 3, Informative

    California (rather, Bay Area) has a very nice service: 511
    You can dial "511" from any cellphone and you'll get a voice-guided helper - you tell it which major road you're taking (or choose origin/destination) and it tells you how long it would probably take and if there are any slowdowns along the way.

    I use it every time I get into bad traffic - that way I know when I need to just wait a few minutes to clear it or take local roads to get around it, instead.

    --
    Did you know that "FTW" ("for the win") is a direct translation of "Sieg Heil"?
  2. Tele Atlas is not Boston based company by ivano · · Score: 3, Informative
    It's listed on the Dutch stock exchange and its main office is in Ghent, Belgium, Europe. They have an office in Boston but most of the developers and infrastructure for the US is done in Lebanon, NH.

    I kinda wonder how much research was done on the article if they can't get even the simple stuff right. What's next, "Microsoft, a Silicon Valley company, is launching its new operating system..."