I live in NYC and frequently use highways (West Side Highway, FDR/East Side Drive) that show up in Google maps as being properly sensor activated by New York City Dep't of Transportation for use by government and media (and obviously Google) but don't show up on the XM Nav/Traffic screen. I've talked to XM, NAVTEQ (credited on XM's site for being their data supplier but they say they only provide the maps, not the real-time data) and even Alpine (which makes the head-end for Acura). Many NYC highways show up but these only show specific incidents, not flow. The data is obviously out there and available (and possibly FREE) but I can't even find out who has to know to ask for it. Any resourceful people out there have a clue?

My only possible brainstorm is that these two highways are controlled by NYC rather than NY State Department of Transportation and someone hasn't thrown the switch to get their data integrated...but WHO?

It may seem like a small detail but I'm in my trial period and deciding whether to spend some $$$ per year to do this. Picture having an opportunity to use either road to get where you're going...there's a flow situation on one but not the other. Happened to me last night going from Brooklyn to Upper Manhattan - West Side was more of a hassle to get to but FDR turned out to be unpredictably jammed at midnight due to 2 accidents. With the map working right I would have put up with the hassle of taking local streets to go West, and been a Nav/Traffic customer for life!!!!

My latest gambit has been to ask Acura, through corporate CS, to look it up which they are trying to do (to their credit since they are not obviously responsible). Any way to assure that I haven't left any particular turn unstoned?

Thanks...

Jay

 

Very good question Jay. I have exactly the same issue w/Traf. It never shows the condition of say Belt Pkwy or Jackie Robinson Pkwy (former Interboro)