Traffic App

[jaybro0813]

I travel 2 hours each day to work and I go through three different regions and three traffic patters. Is there a fast and easy Tradffic App I can use to see if trouble lurks ahead in my travels?

PLease advise Forum Buds

 

[PvilleComp]

Google Nav has a Trafic feature/option built in. When you are in Nav - Select Menu-> Layers -> Traffic View

 

[6s1d9]

Google Maps' traffic feature is helpful

 

[takeshi]

I use the traffic layer in Google Maps. I don't use Google Maps Nav just for traffic but you could use it as it will warn you of traffic ahead and allow you to choose an alternate route.

I find that Google's traffic data isn't quite as up-to-the-minute as a local traffic resource (http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/layers/) so I also have browser bookmarks directly to the traffic maps that I need from that local site. You might want to look into your local options as well.

 

[KayIslandDrunk]

There are about three or four apps out there that do this. However, I've always gone back to google maps w/ traffic. It seems like there's always something wrong that causes me to go back.

Glob is good, but doesn't really allow you to navigate. Plus, you're at the mercy of someone else having driven that route in front of you with Glob running.

QuickTraffic is alright, but doesn't offer anything more than google. Updates are about the same. Plus, it only shows traffic, so don't count on finding an "alternate route" with the app.

Waze is an awesome app. It's like a combination of Google Maps and Glob. The only trouble is hardly anyone uses it in my metro so the maps are outdated and always have me going on senseless routes. I had to uninstall because I eventually was just ignorning everything it told me to do.

There are numerous city-specific apps out there. So if there is one for your metro you might want to try it. Otherwise, like the posters above me have metioned, using Google Navigation with traffic alerts is about the best I've found so far.

 

[project.in.process]

is there a setting within Google Navigation in which you enable Traffic Alerts? all i see, within the settings, is "avoid highways" or "avoid tolls"

?

or is this a 'layer' that must be downloaded like a Lab in google maps

 

[KayIslandDrunk]

is there a setting within Google Navigation in which you enable Traffic Alerts? all i see, within the settings, is "avoid highways" or "avoid tolls"

?

or is this a 'layer' that must be downloaded like a Lab in google maps

It's a layer but you shouldn't have to download anything extra. When you go to layers there should be one that automatically shows up called "Traffic."

 

[Chris Kerrigan]

is there a setting within Google Navigation in which you enable Traffic Alerts? all i see, within the settings, is "avoid highways" or "avoid tolls"

?

or is this a 'layer' that must be downloaded like a Lab in google maps

It's just a layer, but you don't have to Download it. Unfortunately there's no option for "Avoid Traffic" (although it may do this automatically).

 

[PvilleComp]

From what I've deduced through trial and error - when you are in Google Nav - there is a status light in the bottom left of the screen - Green you're on time track. Orange - traffic ahead.

I goggled high and low several months ago to determine the official use of these status lights and found nothing - I haven’t looked in a while so there may be something out there now.

It was only through dumb luck trial and error that I came up with this explanation; however, it does seem to work.

 

[sukjeffrey]

When I'm at home, I always use the website sigalert.com. I find it really reliable. I searched for an app but it requires you to register for an account, which costs money. So I've just been going on my browser to go to sigalert.com. I have it bookmarked so it's pretty easy. It's not as convenient as an app, but it works!

 

[KayIslandDrunk]

From what I've deduced through trial and error - when you are in Google Nav - there is a status light in the bottom left of the screen - Green you're on time track. Orange - traffic ahead.

I goggled high and low several months ago to determine the official use of these status lights and found nothing - I haven?t looked in a while so there may be something out there now.

It was only through dumb luck trial and error that I came up with this explanation; however, it does seem to work.

I use these lights constantly as part of my commute lands in the top 10 of "the most congested freeways in America." From what I've determined, the colors adhere to this standard:
Green - traffic moving at 45mph or greater (assuming a speed limit of 60)
Orange - some congestion ahead. Telling Google Maps to find an alternative route sometimes works in this setting, but most of the time the alternative routes come back with similar times.
Red - Traffic less than 5mph. When this status hits, I immediately tell Google Maps to find an alternative route and it usually returns three or four that are much faster. Unfortunately, Red is the status I find my route in the most.

Hope this helps!

 

[project.in.process]

ok, yes--i've used the traffic Layer..

i was under impression from a previous post that you could receive Traffic Alerts & reroute automatically (ie audible traffic alerts and automatic rerouting)---
but apparently i was mitaken.

 

[KayIslandDrunk]

ok, yes--i've used the traffic Layer..

i was under impression from a previous post that you could receive Traffic Alerts & reroute automatically (ie audible traffic alerts and automatic rerouting)---
but apparently i was mitaken.

Yes, you can't have it reroute automatically. But, at most, it's two finger taps. And I don't find myself missing audible alerts that much as I can always see the Green - Orange - Red light being displayed in the bottom corner.