Caltrans announced today that it's partnering with a Google-owned app to give motorists even more accurate information for avoiding traffic problems.
The app is called Waze. It collects real-time traffic information from its users. Caltrans has been using Waze data along with other information for its QuickMap app since last year.
What's new is that the public can now access that information and customize the traffic data they want and get it faster, nearly every 30 seconds.
"It'll let you know about any closures, slow traffic, CHP incidents and more," says Patrick Olsen with Caltrans.
"Google benefits, we also benefit," says Olsen. "Waze can really help impact travel times. So when we put on our changeable message signs - 14 minutes to your destination - that is data that we've collected through our own infrastructure but also Waze can alter that by a couple of minutes."
Critics worry those CHP incidents could include not just accidents, but speed traps.
"Police activity data is not available inside of QuickMap," Olsen explains. "People can access police activity by opening the Waze app standalone. It's basically up to the user to decipher if that's a good or a bad thing."
Users of QuickMap and Waze are prompted to close the app while driving.
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