jhr3uva90

Has anyone been having problems getting NavTraffic to work in the San Francisco area lately?

CL6

Works fine out here. RLs have had issues with the NavTaffic in the past. Might have been a TSB on it.

jhr3uva90

Thanks for the info. I think it is working for me now.

gdevine

No problem here except on May 6 evening, coming back from Santa Cruz on Hwy 17, Nav Traffic must have showed 35 incidents, accidents and construction zones all around the bay area except the one that got me (construction on Hwy 17 at 10:30PM). I was tied up for 45 minutes on Hwy 17 north had I known I would have taken a completely different route.

gcook

Every once in while I'll see an incident listed 2 times (duplicates) when I select traffic incidents, but otherwise it seems to work ok. I am not too impressed cuz I haven't been in a situation where I was able to see an incident and take an alternate route. I live in the East Bay and work on Peninsula.

Chas2

We have dupes in greater DC metro area, but everyone I have seen is lanes blocked in both directions, e.g. 7100 northbound lanes blocked; 7100 southbound lanes blocked. I guess each one is considered an incident even though it may be part of the same incident.

TampaRLX-SH

I am not going to pretend that I know the architecture of the NavTraffic system. I do know there have been issues with the receivers on some RLs.

But keep in mind that NavTraffic is a fairly new technology, especially in mobile receivers. It simply is relaying info via satellite. NavTraffic is not the source of the information, just the tansmission portal of that data.

This traffic information may be coming from multiple sources, dispatchers, traffic cams, roadway sensors. It must be collected into some databank, and then it can be transmitted up to XM and relayed to us via the NavTraffic application.

If the collection of that information is incorrect, entered multiple times or simply corrupt, that is not likely to be NavTraffic's problem. Assuming NavTraffic / XM is not having transmission issues (and yes they can), and assuming your equiptment is not faulty in the RL, then NavTraffic is only repeating what it is told. Garbage in garbage out.

I assume the sources for traffic information that NavTraffic relays have yet to be standardized as you can look at several traffic reporting services and not see exactly the same reporting information. I have compared online traffic tools (MSN Autos, Local News Station websites) and NavTraffic. Never are the all completely in sync. And the metro area you are examining may not be as advanced as the next.

However, I find NavTraffic excellent here in Tampa Bay. Those who are reporting issues periodically may consider the source information of that metro area, along with potential NavTraffic / XM issues or even the RLs equiptment.

gcook

I have never checked the dups for exact info, so they could be exactly as you are saying. I never opened each one up, I just assumed they were duplicates. I bet that is what is happening here too.

SpicyMikey

I'm jealous TampaRL. I'm in Orlando and we don't have the flow sensors in our area yet. I think the flow data will be just as useful (maybe more so) then the accident icons (especially on I-4). What's your opinion since you have both sets of data to help you navigate?

TampaRLX-SH

The flow sensors on I-4 and I-275 are pretty realistic. I-4 westbound into downtown Tampa is ALWAYS RED. I do NOT go home that way...ever. But the eastbound side is usually green, except typical rush hour traffic. Malfunction Junction (I-4 & I-275) and Malfunction Junction II (Memorial Highway / Airport / Hghwy 60) should have permanent construction icons burned into the Navi Screen.

The amount of traffic accident icons can be amazing (!). When I pull out of the parking garage in the afternoon, it is like popcorn on the Navi Screen. I literally choose my route home every day based on NavTraffic.

Now ultimately, traffic still sucks here. The NavTraffic has rerouted my destination in the Navi many times. It cannot be as real time as we like, but it does give me a perception of the road conditions before I come upon them.

I doubt it would be any assistance driving from Tampa to Orlando on I-4. It would be faster to drive to Tierre del Fuego......and back.

What I really want is an A$$hole driver icon to populate the screen. But then again, the screen would be completely full any day or time.