<story><title>Traffic apps turned L.A.’s neighborhoods into ”shortcuts”</title><url>https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/waze-los-angeles-neighborhoods/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>krn</author><text>&amp;gt; Google Maps has real time traffic data and the accuracy is staggering.&lt;p&gt;But does Google Maps use real time traffic data to calculate the most optimal route in the same way as Waze does? As I understand, that&amp;#x27;s the main difference between the two.</text></item><item><author>Steve44</author><text>&amp;gt; The main difference between Waze and Google Maps is that Waze uses real time traffic data.&lt;p&gt;Google Maps has real time traffic data and the accuracy is staggering.  I occasionally use Google Maps for navigation in the car and it even highlights traffic stationary at traffic lights and temporary road works as I’m approaching.&lt;p&gt;This level or real time detail really amazed me.  I’ve not spent any time looking onto how they do it but assume they are continually tracking everyone with a phone, or at least running Google Maps Navigation, and using their real time location and speed.</text></item><item><author>simplesleeper</author><text>Transport for London Tech Lead here.&lt;p&gt;In London, we have been collaborating with google waze - we provide them with information at the local level. Streets that waze should not use for route finding (e.g. roads with schools) can be blocked for use by Waze. Both local councils and TfL can provide this data.&lt;p&gt;The main difference between Waze and Google Maps is that Waze uses real time traffic data. There are multiple map providers that do this in London. There is a plan to provide different data to different TfL data consumers in the future to try and get map providers to seperate traffic across roads (at the cost of surrendering absolute truth).&lt;p&gt;London is also host to discussions of taxing roads - this is unsurprising when the roads are mostly paid for by the cost of the London Underground (LU makes the majority of public transport money, but 80% of revenue goes into road, traffic and bus management). The London Assembly (who supposedly keep the London mayor accountable) have written a paper &amp;quot;London Stalling&amp;quot; to suggest road taxing related to mileage across London. This, they no doubt expect, will cut down the traffic. However, from my understanding of embellished models of Braess&amp;#x27; paradox, this will only result in similar traffic (on maybe slightly different roads) with an optimum equilibrium between how good a route is and what the cost of it is - meaning people may just take longer to commute and pay more tax.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>eli</author><text>Yes, they definitely both take traffic into account when calculating a route. My suspicion is that they&amp;#x27;re actually using the same raw data, but Waze is tuned to be more aggressive. Waze routinely guides me off a main road onto a side street to avoid two blocks of congestion for a net gain of maybe 1 minute, Google Maps doesn&amp;#x27;t.</text></comment>
<story><title>Traffic apps turned L.A.’s neighborhoods into ”shortcuts”</title><url>https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/waze-los-angeles-neighborhoods/</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>krn</author><text>&amp;gt; Google Maps has real time traffic data and the accuracy is staggering.&lt;p&gt;But does Google Maps use real time traffic data to calculate the most optimal route in the same way as Waze does? As I understand, that&amp;#x27;s the main difference between the two.</text></item><item><author>Steve44</author><text>&amp;gt; The main difference between Waze and Google Maps is that Waze uses real time traffic data.&lt;p&gt;Google Maps has real time traffic data and the accuracy is staggering.  I occasionally use Google Maps for navigation in the car and it even highlights traffic stationary at traffic lights and temporary road works as I’m approaching.&lt;p&gt;This level or real time detail really amazed me.  I’ve not spent any time looking onto how they do it but assume they are continually tracking everyone with a phone, or at least running Google Maps Navigation, and using their real time location and speed.</text></item><item><author>simplesleeper</author><text>Transport for London Tech Lead here.&lt;p&gt;In London, we have been collaborating with google waze - we provide them with information at the local level. Streets that waze should not use for route finding (e.g. roads with schools) can be blocked for use by Waze. Both local councils and TfL can provide this data.&lt;p&gt;The main difference between Waze and Google Maps is that Waze uses real time traffic data. There are multiple map providers that do this in London. There is a plan to provide different data to different TfL data consumers in the future to try and get map providers to seperate traffic across roads (at the cost of surrendering absolute truth).&lt;p&gt;London is also host to discussions of taxing roads - this is unsurprising when the roads are mostly paid for by the cost of the London Underground (LU makes the majority of public transport money, but 80% of revenue goes into road, traffic and bus management). The London Assembly (who supposedly keep the London mayor accountable) have written a paper &amp;quot;London Stalling&amp;quot; to suggest road taxing related to mileage across London. This, they no doubt expect, will cut down the traffic. However, from my understanding of embellished models of Braess&amp;#x27; paradox, this will only result in similar traffic (on maybe slightly different roads) with an optimum equilibrium between how good a route is and what the cost of it is - meaning people may just take longer to commute and pay more tax.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>garblegarble</author><text>&amp;gt;But does Google Maps use real time traffic data to calculate the most optimal route in the same way as Waze does?&lt;p&gt;Anecdotally in the UK I see Google Maps routing based on live traffic data. I also often get a reassurance notification &amp;quot;you are on the fastest route despite traffic&amp;quot; (and it distinguishes between &amp;quot;traffic&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;usual traffic&amp;quot;). Occasionally I&amp;#x27;ll also get a recommendation pushed to switch to another route which is faster</text></comment>