Beat the Traffic Blog

Below is a link to the CBS 5 Interview from November 17, 2009

Click here for the youtube video.
The transcript reads “Bay Bridge: Ever since the semi accident on the Bay Bridge changes were made to slow down drivers on the S curve and the CHP has been writing speeding tickets. -Bay Bridge traffic footage- driver says the traffic is slow. Andre Gueziec the CEO of beatthetraffic.com a traffic software company was asked to examine the speed of traffic on the Bay Bridge. During Aug the avg speed during the morning drive was 39 mph. On Aug 31st the speed dropped to 29 mph. On Mon Sept 14 after the S curve was put in speed fell to 24 mph and on Nov 16th traffic was going 13 mph. Gueziec, talking about the study. Drivers, commenting on the speeds on the Bay Bridge. John Goodwin, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, commenting on the study, says people will get used to the slower speeds. Joe Vazquez reporting.”

Yesterday, we were contacted by Joe Vazquez, a KPIX/CBS 5 reporter seeking some data on a potential slowdown on the West Bound lanes of the SF Bay Bridge in the recent days/weeks. Using some of the analytic capabilities of the BeatTheTraffic.com system, we were happy to help the best we could.

Here is the content of our message to Joe:

“For the Bay Bridge Westbound, from the Cantilever Section through Treasure Island Rd, (so this would include the new S curve section) I have some average speed of traffic data from the Beat the Traffic(R) system (note that we have multiple sources but in this area it is mostly from the 511 system)

For comparison purposes, I have graphed the same day of week:

• Monday August 3
• Monday August 31
• Monday September 14
• Monday October 12 (Columbus Day)
• Monday November 16

The data indicates that the average speed of Morning commute is getting increasingly worse, except for Monday October 12 of course, which was Columbus day and a special case.

Morning commutes drop from 39 mph or so on August 3 to:
- Monday August 31: 29 mph (this also corresponds to back to school increase in traffic)
- Monday Sept 12: 24 mph
- Monday Nov 16: 13 mph.

So it seems your intuition might be correct and there is a downward trend of travel speeds on the Bay Bridge in that section, which affects the entire travel time.

I am not aware there were adverse weather conditions on either day that could explain slowdowns,
but perhaps this should be checked. Tuesday October 13 was a very bad storm, but that is another story”

See the graphs below:

(more…)

Since we started Beat the Traffic®, we keep striving to improve the efficiency and automation of our system for managing traffic information. We do our best to provide reliable, complete, timely, and concisely stated traffic information.

In July 2009, our efforts were rewarded with the U.S. patent #7,557,730!

We’ve introduced the following innovations:

We merge traffic data from several trusted sources:
We collect data on a 24/7 uninterrupted basis. Our Beat the Traffic system operates to merge data from numerous trusted sources of up-to-the-minute information. For instance, incident data from a state police dispatch system may be merged and augmented with highway monitoring speed sensor data produced by a department of transportation.

We automatically collect, correct, merge, and publish information about traffic, weather, public events and other information
Our data processor analyzes the traffic data, determines whether the fed data is new or not, assigns a beginning and end time for each record of fed data, determines whether the data is active and assigns an importance or severity level to the data. We gradually remove all outdated information. As soon as available, the information is processed and published with very short delays.

We offer a personalized service
Our MyTraffic service lets you personalize the information for your travel routes and trip schedules and get alerted of delays and incidents. You can also obtain a traffic forecast.

All the details about this patent can be found on the www.uspto.gov website. Click here more more details.

We just received a new U.S. patent # 7,610,145 in October 2009 focusing on our alerts and forecasts solutions.

Beat the Traffic determines the optimal travel route and recommends departure time based on, among other things, destination, and arrival time and changing traffic conditions.

You can input a starting location, a destination, a desired arrival time and other optional attributes such as maximum desired speed and vehicle type. Using a database of predictive road speeds and a routing engine, the Beat the Traffic system determines your optimal route and recommends a departure time for your pre-selected arrival time.

You can also choose how you would like to be alerted (e-mail, SMS, telephone, instant message or other). We will then send you the information through your desired device.

Starting prior to your departure, as well as after you departed, we keep evaluating the suggested route, and we alert you when there is a significant change in the recommended route or forecast.

The availability of such information can significantly reduce your trip time, thereby resulting in increased on-time arrival and an overall reduction of stress!

All the details about this patent can be found on the www.uspto.gov website. Click here to have more details.

October 28, 2009

Contacts:

Barry Fulmer- bfulmer@fox41.com
Bill Lamb- blamb@WDRB.com

—

(LOUISVILLE) –WDRB and Fox41.com are happy to announce that they have reached an agreement to work with Beat the Traffic®, a patented traffic solution. Beat the Traffic®’s new and highly innovative traffic reporting system will significantly help Louisville drivers ease their daily commute. The station is the first local television station in Louisville committed to bringing their audience real-time, data-driven traffic reports each week day morning. Beat the Traffic®’s cutting-edge technology will provide a dynamic 3-D perspective of roads and highways displaying current traffic conditions throughout the region. WDRB-TV will display their new system shortly after October 28, 2009.

WDRB 41 viewers, as well as Fox41.com users will benefit from real-time traffic speed information in all of Louisville, which will help better plan their commutes and react to traffic problems. WDRB’s most up-to-the-minute traffic reports will be complemented with instant trip times on key routes such as Interstate 71, 65, and interstate 64.

WDRB 41 will also report significant traffic incidents on other Louisville roadways, leveraging the ease of use and striking graphics of the system. “Traffic is a big challenge in Louisville and our viewers can really use the help WDRB 41 and Fox41.com will provide using the Beat the Traffic® system,” says WDRB News Director, Barry Fulmer. “We chose Beat the Traffic® because it is the only system providing truly real-time traffic speeds in Louisville. The system is also very easy to use and is visually far superior to the competition.” “In addition, the team is a pleasure to work with.”

(more…)

ABC 30 and abc30.com to Provide More High-Tech Help for Fresno Commuters with 3-D HD Traffic Reports

September 28, 2009

Contacts:

Tracey Watkowski, News Director, Tracey.Watkowski@abc.com
Dan Adams, President and General Manager, Dan.A.Adams@abc.co

—

(FRESNO) –ABC 30/KFSN-TV and abc30.com have reached a new agreement to bring Beat the Traffic®’s new traffic reporting system to the station’s viewers and website users. Beat the Traffic®, a traffic solution used by ABC 30 since 2006, is designed to significantly help Fresno drivers ease their daily commute. The latest enhancements — debuting at ABC 30 and abc30.com shortly after Oct. 1 — include a dynamic 3-D HD perspective of roads and highways displaying current traffic conditions throughout the Central Valley.

The new traffic reports in 1080i High Definition are part of ABC 30’s ongoing commitment to offer the Fresno audience the best real-time, data-driven traffic information each weekday morning. ABC 30 will be using the dynamic graphics now available through the Beat the Traffic® system to report significant traffic incidents in Fresno, Visalia, Merced and other local cities.

For more information about Beat the Traffic®, please contact Andre Gueziec at (408) 777-6600 and visit www.beatthetraffic.com and www.trianglesoftware.com.  For more information on ABC 30 traffic coverage or other ABC 30 News related items, please contact Tracey Watkowski at Tracey.Watkowski@abc.com.

In a recent LBS Insider Newsletter Kevin Dennehy speaks about Beat the Traffic(R).

Tough Times, But Some Segments Strong and Growing

Dennehy writes “Despite the worldwide economic slump, Triangle Software’s Beat the Traffic product is successfully moving in several markets.” Click here for complete newsletter .

For example, the company launched a mobile WAP portal, www.BeatTheTraffic.mobi , which was recently featured in the Wall Street Journal. Gueziec, whose Triangle Software purchased LandSonar in 2008, believes the presentation of traffic information is the company’s strength.

The company offers traffic speeds, incidents, cameras and personalized point-to-point trip times. The Beat the Traffic GPS-based software is powered by Inrix.

(more…)

(Buffalo, New York May 27, 2009) Time Warner Cable’s newly launched Your News Now Buffalo unveiled its new and highly innovative traffic reporting system.

YNN Buffalo serves over 300,000 cable subscribers in Western New York 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. YNN can be seen on Channel 14 in downtown Buffalo, and on Channel 9 in the surrounding suburbs.

“We provide a unique service to the second largest city in New York,” said Jim Aroune, YNN Buffalo Executive Editor. “Along with our around the clock coverage of Western New York news, government, weather and sports, we’re now the first to offer Beat The Traffic’s valuable real-time traffic data, highway speeds and road incidents on-air, on-line and on-mobile. People will find this to be a most striking, user-friendly experience on every platform.”

“We also chose Beat The Traffic® for R NEWS in Rochester, New York,” said Steve Paulus, TWC Regional Vice President. “Time Warner has a strong presence and is willing to invest in its upstate News York round-the-clock news channels which are a key factor in servicing our subscribers.”

“We’re very pleased to partner with Time Warner Cable allowing us to bring our traffic reporting system to both Buffalo and Rochester,” says Andre Gueziec, President & CEO of Triangle Software, the operators of the Beat the Traffic®. “To save travelers time and money, our award winning solution also features co-branded mobile web pages, for Rochester as well as for Buffalo traffic conditions.”

Read more on our corporate news page…

Hi Folks,

Beat the Traffic is holding a press conference during the NAB Trade Show this coming Sunday, and the time was just changed to 3pm.

The press conference will be held in ROOM N 242 of the Las Vegas Convention Center and the schedule will be as follows

3:00 Welcome and Introduction, Joe Coscia, Moderator

3:15 pm Introduction and Demonstration of the BTT Wiimote integration

3:20 pm Demonstration of the BTT Radio Console

3:25 pm new BeatTheTraffic.com Interactive features.

Brief hands on demonstration of BTT solution

Q & A, Thank you and conclusion

The NAB Show conference schedule page can be found here.