Google Maps Hops On The Real-Time Traffic Bandwagon

By Amit Chowdhry ● Feb 28, 2007

Just when you thought that there aren’t that many ways you could improve upon a website that gives driving directions, Google has introduced a feature on Google Maps that warns about potential traffic delays. Who would this benefit? Those who commute through big cities.

The current cities that the new Google Maps feature support include San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and Dallas. This announcement was made official by Google Software Engineer, David Wang on the Google Blog.

When routes are marked as red, it indicates that there is a lot of traffic. Users can select or de-select the traffic feature simply by clicking on the ‘Traffic’ button. This feature is also available on certain mobile phones.

How could Google Maps improve from this point? Two ways. First is by integrating this feature into other cities of the U.S. and secondly, imitate MapQuest. MapQuest has a gas price tracker that displays the gas stations that have the highest and lowest prices in any city of the U.S.

Upon looking at Windows Live Search, I discovered that Microsoft had integrated the traffic feature before Google did. And on top of that, Windows Live Search also includes under construction data. This is especially useful for those that live in the MidWest. There’s a poor joke that circulates around the MidWest: “There are only two seasons in the MidWest: Winter and construction.”

The intensity of the rivalry between driving directions websites only makes life easier for us, the consumer. Microsoft should also take a page out of the MapQuest book of ideas and integrate a gas tracker feature as well.