The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) has become the latest state agency to form a data-sharing partnership with Waze, the free, real-time crowdsourced traffic and navigation app.
Nevada has joined the Waze Connected Citizens Program, a free, two-way data exchange, which will see NDOT’s state road construction, incident and closure data becoming available to drivers using Waze’s driver information app. In return, Waze will provide NDOT with real time, anonymous traffic incident and slow-down information reported by Waze users to display on the agency’s Nevada 511 Travel Info system.
Beginning in the coming months, the Waze traffic updates will be used at NDOT road operations centers for traffic safety and dispatch and will eventually be publicly available via all the agency’s travel information outlets.
The data-sharing agreement comes at no cost to NDOT, and the agency is expecting the Waze data to be of particular benefit to drivers during Project NEON, a four-year program on the I-15 in Las Vegas, which is state’s largest public works project ever. To reduce the risk of distracted driving, Waze and NDOT encourage drivers to use the app as it is intended, by docking the phone and making use of its hands-free functionality during journeys. All navigation and incident reporting can be done through voice command, supporting Nevada law prohibiting the use of a handheld device while driving. Waze also allows drivers to send their destination and estimated time of arrival to contacts before departure.
“This is about giving Nevada drivers more information to stay safe and connected on the road,” explained NDOT’s director, Rudy Malfabon. “Whether real-time updates on Nevada traffic incidents, construction or other road conditions, drivers can be prepared with more information about the drive ahead before they even leave. It also adds to the eyes we already have on the road, allowing NDOT and our partners to even more quickly respond to incidents or roadside concerns as soon as they are reported by Waze users.”
Adam Fried, new business development manager at Waze, commented, “Through our Connected Citizens Program, NDOT will contribute critical data to the Waze app, which is key for hyperlocal citizen support. NDOT will gain access to even more creative solutions and support through our network of more than 250 innovative, collaborative global partners. The immense data and insights NDOT can provide to Waze and to the Connected Citizens Program community makes them a valued partner moving forward.”
