Waze App. - Outsmart Trafffic, anyone try this?

[speedog]

Waze is a separate app that people can report incidents on and I believe this info is shared on Google Maps as Waze icon alerts.

As for the traffic density colors on Google maps, that is purely a Google thing as best as I know and is based upon the travels of Android devices - I'm not even sure if you need your GPS turned on for Google to get good data as I've noticed that my location on my S3's Google maps is usually accurate within 20 meters in the city with the GPS turned off, that kind of non-GPS accuracy probably allows Google to get fairly good traffic data. I suspect that Google is not using bluetooth tracking of any kind - they're relying solely upon your Android device's location via A-GPS versus GPS (which is more accurate).

Basically and as best as I can figure it out, the telco's using A-GPS can pretty much narrow down where your Android device is within a few meters and because your Android device is always talking to the telco's network, Google can use this accumulated info on Google Maps. Apparently you opt in or out of sharing your travel data with Google under your phones’ Google maps settings - I haven't bothered because I find Google Maps Traffic to be quite useful and getting better all the time as more devices become active.

[speedog]

Originally posted by Xtrema
Wonder how many reports for it to trigger?

If I keep reporting accident on Crowchild, will that divert traffic to 14th St or vice versa to keep less people on my route?

There's gotta be a way to game this.

All I know is that between Google Maps, 660, 770 and yyctraffic on Twitter, one can get a pretty good idea of what's going on.

[speedog]

More info on how Google does the traffic stuff (link) - it would appear that they've got their fingers into a lot of stuff.

[schocker]

I started using this now that I drive downtown. Are there enough people using it in Calgary that it would be accurate? Using it mainly to see if there are accidents or police on my route so I can re-route. It doesn't look like it is pulling traffic data from google either as it looks like data is only being shown on routes of waze users, while google shows live traffic on most roads?

[120Comm]

I think the Google data is currently only one-way (Waze to Google). There are a bunch of people using it, though.

I'm an Area Manager for a large part of southern Alberta. The system allows us to edit the maps and solve problems that users report. There's a pretty steady stream of reported issues (not that the map is full of bugs, mind you - I'm just saying that there are plenty of people in the area that are using it). Also I get auto-generated reports by the Waze database when it recognizes a problem, i.e. people turning through an intersection marked as turns not allowed. In order for those reports to get generated, a certain number of people have to have travelled that path using Waze - thus, there has to be a not-insignificant number of people using it.

[ExtraSlow]

Bump. Just got introduced to this app. I find it pretty good, and it's navigation is pretty neat for someone who knows the city pretty well, it takes me on routes I wouldn't have considered. Haven't been dissatisfied with it's routing yet.

Also heard that this app is poular with the firefighters. They have custom navigation built into thier systems, but some of them have the waze app running as a backup/second opinion when on calls.

Is there any point adding "freinds" on this thing?

[schocker]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
Bump. Just got introduced to this app. I find it pretty good, and it's navigation is pretty neat for someone who knows the city pretty well, it takes me on routes I wouldn't have considered. Haven't been dissatisfied with it's routing yet.

Also heard that this app is poular with the firefighters. They have custom navigation built into thier systems, but some of them have the waze app running as a backup/second opinion when on calls.

Is there any point adding "freinds" on this thing?

I still use it every time I drive a decent distance. Works well for getting around traffic. One time it routed me onto crowchild when it was snowing and it took me like 30 mins extra

Friends I am not sure, maybe just to see where people are currently driving? Always nice to see people reporting accidents, police etc.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I've tried this app several times now and it just doesn't work. The problem is it relies on other people's reports, but everyone obviously just wants to use the app without the hassle of reporting anything themselves, and still reap all the benefits. It's a flawed idea in a world where people just want to do nothing and get everything for free haha. Maybe I need to try it again, but I haven't had good luck with it.

Google traffic has been absolutely amazing. Several times now, it's been aware of an accident before emergency crews have even responded. Most recent example, I was on deerfoot, everything seemed normal, then I see on the Nav that after the next couple bends it was red. Sure enough, a few minutes later I was in parking-lot traffic due to an accident that couldn't have been more than 10 minutes old. Police hadn't even shown up yet, and somehow (I have no idea how), Google Nav was already aware of it with it's traffic report. No need to use other services IMO, I've found Google Nav to be absolutely bang on in my occasional usage.

Same experience in Vancouver, it got the traffic right every single time.

[schocker]

^^^That is pretty neat. The main reason I use waze though is for police reports. I do see frequent heavy traffic, hazard & police reports on waze though.

[spike98]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
I've tried this app several times now and it just doesn't work. The problem is it relies on other people's reports, but everyone obviously just wants to use the app without the hassle of reporting anything themselves, and still reap all the benefits. It's a flawed idea in a world where people just want to do nothing and get everything for free haha. Maybe I need to try it again, but I haven't had good luck with it.

Google traffic has been absolutely amazing. Several times now, it's been aware of an accident before emergency crews have even responded. Most recent example, I was on deerfoot, everything seemed normal, then I see on the Nav that after the next couple bends it was red. Sure enough, a few minutes later I was in parking-lot traffic due to an accident that couldn't have been more than 10 minutes old. Police hadn't even shown up yet, and somehow (I have no idea how), Google Nav was already aware of it with it's traffic report. No need to use other services IMO, I've found Google Nav to be absolutely bang on in my occasional usage.

Same experience in Vancouver, it got the traffic right every single time.

Google gets its accident/construction data from waze. So to say no one reports on it is unfair.

[speedog]

Google bought Waze just a few months ago, no?

[jwslam]

Originally posted by speedog
Google bought Waze just a few months ago, no?

Yup
And I would bet their data comes from all android phones and google maps installed on iPhones doing location reporting and some sort of speed calculation. Same reason why google now tells you how long it will take you to get home right around the time you get off work everyday. Kinda creepy.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Maybe I need to try Waze again then, but honestly I found it 100% useless when I tried it a year ago or so. That can't be the only place Google gets it's data from is it?

[supe]

I'm a wazer now and I think waze is a bit smarter than just relying on reported incidences. If enough people actually have it running, waze can actually tell the speed of traffic. This is pretty powerful and probably the reason google bought it.

Its sometimes tough to put your trust in waze because it will take out on detours but i would say more often then not it does find the best route. My only issues is that it takes you on some routes that make you do left turns into heavy traffic which is not fun.

And yes, when you get accident alerts from google now it clearly says the source is from waze. So why not use waze in the first place.

[speedog]

The accident/incident info that Google maps shows comes from Waze, the traffic volumes and estimated traveling times are most likely collected from the multitudes of Android devices that are out there.

[ExtraSlow]

Waze devices also transmit travel times when they are on.

[AE92_TreunoSC]

I use Waze in the city when I need GPS, but its rare that I use GPS in the first place.

I like it and I finally got promoted the other day!

[120Comm]

Waze is improving day by day as more and more people use it. It does use some predictive reasoning - for example, it knows when I turn it on in the afternoon in the parking lot at work that I typically want to navigate home, or that when I turn it on on Sundays, it's time to go to the swimming pool. And the number of users and the data they're reporting is helping - tieups on Deerfoot are causing me (and others of course) to get routed in different directions, including some routes I wouldn't have considered before.

There are still quirks - it consistently tells me that Stoney to Beddington to Deerfoot to 32nd Avenue is a quicker drive into the Whitehorn area - during rush hour - than Stoney to Metis and south.

I took a drive to Seattle and back in the summer and it was very useful all the way there and back, especially on the interstates where there are tons of Wazers making reports.

[ExtraSlow]

I just invited one of the beyonders who posted in this thread to be my "friend". Not really sure what the point of that feature is, but it's happening. Enjoy bud.

[eur0]

I've been using it daily for over a year reporting traffic, hidden photo radar on deerfoot (usually I would say once or twice a week). Just trying to help people avoid traffic and tickets, I know it has saved me a few times. Ideally I feel there should be more contributors on the road, I know it's extremely popular in LA.