Google provides traffic information for more US cities

Google has announced that its mobile maps will provide live traffic data on 130 new USA cities, including: Kalamazoo, Michigan; Portland, Maine; and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It has also launched live traffic information in the capital cities of Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panama. In addition to the new cities, Google also says it has expanded its real-time traffic coverage around the world, including parts of: Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. First launched in 2007, the company now offers live traffic data in more than 50 countries, with eight added in the last 12 months.
 

Google gathers its real-time traffic data from the ‘Maps’ and ‘Navigation’ functions on Android-powered cell phones, which transmit anonymous position and speed information when in use. Google says that a total of 400 million Android devices have been activated since its operating system became available, almost all of them smartphones. Stephan Seyboth, product manager for the traffic, transit, and directions features of Google Maps, explained, “What really enables that rapid scaling is anonymous ‘crowdsourced’ data from Android users. Transportation authorities have traditionally gathered data on traffic flows using detectors embedded into the road surface, but they’re expensive to install and only cover limited stretches of road. Our anonymous crowdsourced cell phone data allows us to reach countries that are out of reach to that traditional kind of traffic service.”

8 August 2012