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Traffic congestion in Victoria and the south Island


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#41 Rob Randall

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Posted 19 May 2015 - 11:06 AM

^How accurate is that? How is it updated? That upper end of Cook has opened.



#42 Mike K.

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Posted 19 May 2015 - 11:18 AM

Scroll back to the 1st page where a photo of an accident is tied in with the map -- I was surprised at just how fast the data was relayed.

 

Android devices and Google Maps on any smartphone send instant data to Google Maps which shows more or less live traffic conditions. Road closures and changes to the physical roadway can take several days/even weeks to be updated.


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#43 Rob Randall

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Posted 19 May 2015 - 11:24 AM

^It's automated?



#44 Mike K.

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Posted 19 May 2015 - 11:26 AM

Yup, it's virtually in real-time and very accurate.

 

Google realized that as more and more people continued to switch to smartphones, they had a miniature army of traffic monitors that they could make use of. Thus, the traffic flow that you see on your map is a highly accurate real-time display of the number of Android phones that are currently trying to make that same trek. Basically, they’ve crowd-sourced traffic information (a spokesperson for Google directed us to this explanation of the process). Of course, Google uses its own algorithms to exclude anomalies, like a postman who chooses to stop much more frequently than the average driver. Dobson also notes that there must be a threshold for how much data they have before they’re willing to label a road green, yellow, or red, rather than gray (which means there isn’t enough data), but they’re not releasing that number.

 

https://www.ncta.com...tracks-traffic/


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#45 Danma

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Posted 19 May 2015 - 01:43 PM

I drove back from Calgary this weekend and found Google Maps was 100% accurate. It knew how long I would be trapped in a backup between Chiliwack and Abbotsford based on everyone else trapped there and I arrived at my friends' Burnaby place within 1 minute of the estimate. I thought it was lying but no, sadly, it was totally correct.


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#46 Sparky

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Posted 19 May 2015 - 05:08 PM

What was the travel time?



#47 manuel

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Posted 19 May 2015 - 07:35 PM

Don't rely on Google maps times in the Kootenay. I was there a month ago and driving times between Nelson and Grand Forks were overestimated by around 40 percent. They said said 1 hr 30 from Castlegar to Grand Forks, but it is only 98 km and the limit most of the way is 100. Took less than an hour...
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#48 sdwright.vic

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Posted 20 May 2015 - 05:22 AM

Google Maps basis information on when you first look up your destination with taking at that time, but continually updates your arrival time.
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#49 Mike K.

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Posted 20 May 2015 - 06:16 AM

Google Maps travel estimates between cities and "traffic" within cities are two very different things. The estimates are based on historical data together with traffic conditions at the source and destination, if available. The "traffic" feature is only applicable within urban areas that have the feature enabled and along major highways, if available.

 

07:15 AM

 

TCH backed up between Thetis Lake and McKenzie.

 

Victoria-congestion-May-20-0715AM.jpg


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#50 LJ

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Posted 20 May 2015 - 11:10 AM

On my computer I show the delays etc. the same as you have depicted, but on my phone it doesn't show any different colours even though I have "traffic/incidents" selected.


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#51 Mike K.

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Posted 20 May 2015 - 11:12 AM

What's your phone and are your maps up-to-date? And do you have settings that restrict data if you're not on wireless?

 

The option should be called Traffic, not Traffic/Incidents. You might selecting something else entirely, perhaps?


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#52 Danma

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Posted 20 May 2015 - 12:25 PM

What was the travel time?

 

I left Calgary at ~6:45 AM Mountain, and arrived at my friend's place at 5:30 PM Pacific



#53 rjag

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Posted 20 May 2015 - 02:28 PM

Mckenzie at TCH today at 1:15pm. Heading from UVic area to just past the 4 mile pub....thought I would just cruise McKenzie through Admirals.....traffic on the through lane crossing over the TCH was backed up beyond the Burnside light ....5 lights to get through or approx. 10 minutes to go 1 block. Total travel time 30 minutes. 

 

Came home via Esquimalt road....much less traffic....



#54 Nparker

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Posted 20 May 2015 - 02:49 PM

McKenzie at TCH today at 1:15pm. Heading from UVic area to just past the 4 mile pub....thought I would just cruise McKenzie through Admirals.....traffic on the through lane crossing over the TCH was backed up beyond the Burnside light ....5 lights to get through or approx. 10 minutes to go 1 block. Total travel time 30 minutes...

Hopefully, McKenzie can be reduced to one vehicle lane in each direction with really wide, separated bike lanes on both sides; I understand this allows more cars to travel on the same roadway.


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#55 nagel

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Posted 20 May 2015 - 03:04 PM

Hopefully, McKenzie can be reduced to one vehicle lane in each direction with really wide, separated bike lanes on both sides; I understand this allows more cars to travel on the same roadway.

Or maybe we can spend $120 million so people can get bottlenecked somewhere else.



#56 sebberry

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Posted 20 May 2015 - 03:13 PM

Or maybe we can spend $120 million so people can get bottlenecked somewhere else.

 

A significant portion of southbound TCH traffic turns off at McKenzie/Admirals.  I think the idea that traffic will back up at Tillicum is a little overblown. 

 

An interchange would go a long way to alleviate the northbound problems as well. 


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#57 LJ

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Posted 20 May 2015 - 07:38 PM

What's your phone and are your maps up-to-date? And do you have settings that restrict data if you're not on wireless?

 

The option should be called Traffic, not Traffic/Incidents. You might selecting something else entirely, perhaps?

I have a Nokia 630 and as far as I know I am up to date on everything. There is no setting for just "traffic" so maybe I am using the wrong app?


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#58 sebberry

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Posted 20 May 2015 - 08:19 PM

I have a Nokia 630

 

That's a Windows Phone, so it's probably using Bing maps which doesn't have Google traffic data.


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#59 LJ

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Posted 21 May 2015 - 06:54 PM

^No it's a google map app.


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#60 Intercontinental

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Posted 21 May 2015 - 08:57 PM

Google is fine for urban areas, but they really need to have an more emphasized disclaimer for their maps and time estimates of rural and recreational areas.

 

I spent the long weekend in the Port Renfrew/Cowichan/Nitinat/Carmanah-Walbran area. My father was an avid outdoorsman, so I have a decent collection of old maps (in miles) for such outings. Anyhow, before going I ran a google "directions" out of curiosity to see what it would show. It was very surprising that many of the tertiary logging roads are on Google maps.   The default route stuck to mainlines, but I noticed that I could redirect the Google route onto the tertiaries. Not only this, but the time estimates were totally off.  While the mainlines are absolutely doable in a normal car doing mostly 45 -60 kmph or so, large portions of the tertiaries need a proven SUV or ATV travelling at about 10- 20 kmph.

 

For example, the google route underestimated the time for the Carmanah-Walbran park by about 35 per cent because of how rough the road conditions are on select portions of the route and near the park entrance. Now that the CAD is dropping and we are seeing more tourists, I do worry that most don't comprehend how remote some of our backwoods are, and that some may try to use Google maps to get around. They could very well end up running out of gas or stuck out past dark (lost?), and without communication (no cell service).
 



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