Does waze use regular traffic info

Map Editors Community General Topics
1

Hi All,
Not sure where to ask this so here i go,
Does waze use normal traffic info like google or others does, and add top of that use users speeds.
Or is it just user based data.

If its just user data only how does it get info if no one has passed on a certain road.

2

Waze use own info only, and statistic speeds if no one drive at this moment.

Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using Tapatalk

3

If a Wazer has not passed through a current traffic jam, Waze will not yet have the traffic jam and flow rate data. Waze needs a decent number of Wazers in each metro area to be generating traffic data to have enough data to route appropriately around traffic.

Everyone who is interested in Waze and it’s benefits should be running Waze every time they drive anywhere. This allows Waze to collect the data that they need to be an effective solution.

4

Hmm this just doesnt feel enough, how does google and others get thier info its probably public info coming from some goverment service right? anyone know?

5

Many of the competitors to Waze get their traffic data from a traffic provider. The traffic provider aggregates traffic data from various places - in-road sensors, traffic camera’s, public accident, drivers in private fleets who have sensors in their vehicles, police reports, etc.

No specifically sure what data Google is using. It is possible that everyone who has an Android device or everyone who is running Google Maps or Google Navigation is contributing data back to Google for them to crunch and use as traffic flow data. Apple is currently collecting traffic data from every iPhone (and other GPS enabled, connected iOS devices) on iOS 5.x - supposedly for their future navigation application.

Waze is working in the same manner but Waze only has access to the data of Wazers when they have Waze running on their SmartPhone. As more people adopt and use Waze, the traffic data being collected increases and the traffic data and routing improves.

In some countries Waze could be using some other traffic data feeds. But I am unsure if this data contains flow rate and is being used to update the jams with the traffic speed in Waze. This is the data that is useful for traffic sensitive routing. The traffic reports (pin on Waze map) don’t contain flow rate and are not useful for accurate traffic avoidance, ETA adjustments, etc.

6

I guess what Im trying to say is, I live in Socal, Orange County . I seen this happen few times where I would compare waze traffic info and googles and bings. I would actually see traffic on my route home on google and bing but waze doesnt show anything since no one past the same route yet. If there is away to get both info combined that would be the ultimate solution.

7

Does this traffic provider have a name? is there a website that i can go and see? Just curious about it.

8

Understood. But currently Waze is only using traffic data generated by other Wazers in your and my area (San Diego, CA). This is their strategy. Waze feels that as the number of Wazers increases, that their data can/will be better than other providers.

There are lots of posts around here with pro’s and cons of this approach. Currently it appears that Waze will create, update or remove a jam based on the activities of a single Wazer. The benefit of this approach is that one Wazer driving through an area can create a jam that can help Wazers that are driving or setting routes in the area.

Several con’s also:

  • Someone Wazing on a motorcycle, that is driving faster than the traffic flow since they can drive in-between lanes is contributing false data.
  • In area’s such as Orange County, a Wazer driving in a carpool lane, faster than traffic in the non-carpool lanes can contribute false data since Waze is not yet optimized for carpool lanes. Waze may think that they are driving in the regular lanes vs. carpool lane due to their snap to road functionality or since not all carpool lanes are mapped (esp. carpool lanes immediately adjacent to the regular lanes separated by only painted line(s)).
  • Traffic jams can be created where there is no traffic by one Wazer who is not traveling with the speed of traffic. Stopped for gas, coffee, driving slowly sightseeing, etc.
  • Other out of scope users for Waze. Walking, bicycling, train, etc.

The good news is that there are a significant number of Wazers in Orange County. So the data is generally good, factoring in the above limitations. The other benefit of more Wazers is that if someone is if one Wazer is contributing false traffic data, the next Wazer coming along that is moving with the flow of traffic will correct the data.

NO traffic solution is 100% effective. Especially difficult is accurately accounting for traffic when the traffic is quickly building or declining. It takes some time to collect the data, crunch the information, and disseminate the data to the users of the traffic aware navigation products. With Waze the traffic data is always going to be apx. 2+ minutes delayed. The Wazer has to drive the segment, the data queues on the SmartPhone and gets sent to Waze periodically (we think it’s about every 2 minutes), Waze needs to process the data and re-evaluate current routes as well as routes as they are being requested, and the jam display in Waze needs to update (up to apx. another 2 minutes). If there is a major accident on I-5, all lanes are blocked and traffic is stopped - you can’t expect any solution to notify you of this situation 5 seconds after it happens.

9

There are multiple traffic providers in the United States. One of the more reputable companies is Inrix. Another is Total Traffic Network (although they may have a new company name now). traffic.com (Navteq). AccuTraffic. TrafficLand. And who knows how many others.

10

Thanks gettingthere(nice nick by the way)
you pointed out good cons and pros. And yes its obviously impossible to spot accidents instantanously.
And thanks for the links.

11

The other sources factor, is that anyone that aggregates data, is probably going to charge for the data.

The product is free to us, as we provide them with map edits, and traffic data, which then they can try to monetize.

Buy this data from another source, negates the “how can we pay for this” issue.

Yes there are government sources, but these are normally only freeways/highways, so don’t give you any data for surface streets. And then would require programming interfaces for each one.