Chapter 12: Web maps and road traffic

McCutcheon, E., 1999, MapInfo-Online Tools under die NavTech-AND- Datenba nk. In: Proceedings Symposium Web.mapping.99, Karlsruhe 18.11.1999, (Karlsruhe Fachhochschule) pp. VII.1-VII.11.
Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat, 1996, Gebruikerswensen verkeersinformatie, eindrapport Uneva project. (Den Haag: Adviesdienst Verkeer en Vervoer).
Orski, C.K., 1997, Commuter response to real time travel information. ITS Online. http://www.itonline.com/c_rep.html (accessed 28 June 2000).
Strand, E.J., 1998, Road warriors capture web maps when travelling. GIS World, 11, (10), pp.28-29.
Whatis.com, 2000, Homepage. http://whatis.com (accessed 12.02.2000).

URL 12.1 Twin Cities Express Traveler Information: http://twincitiesexpress.com/travelerinformation.asp
URL 12.2 MapQuest: http://www.mapquest.com/
URL 12.3 MapBlast: http://www.mapblast.com/mblast/index.mb
URL 12.4 DeLorme Cybermaps: http://www.earthamaps.com/
URL 12.5 Shell GeoStar: http://www.shellgeostar.com/home/default.asp
URL 12.6 Michelin - Your route: http://www.michelin-travel.com/eng/itin/demande/vide.cgi
URL 12.7 AND Internatinal Publisher: http://www.and.com
URL 12.8 Navigation Technologies: http://www.navtech.com/index.jsp
URL 12.9 Vicinity Corporation: http://www.vicinity.com/
URL 12.10 GDT Geographic Data Technology: http://www.geographic.com/index.cfm
URL 12.11 American Automobile Association: http://www.aaa-calif.com/auto-travel/directions/index.asp
URL 12.12 ANWB: http://www.anwb.nl/
URL 12.13 Avantgo: http://avantgo.com/frontdoor/index.html
URL 12.14 Falk routing: http://www.falk.de/
URL 12.15 Puget Sound Traffic Conditions: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/PugetSoundTraffic/
URL 12.16 Chicagoland Expressway Congestion Map: http://www.ai.eecs.uic.edu/GCM/chicagoland-java.html
URL 12.17 Current San Jose Traffic: http://www.ci.san-jose.ca.us/traffic/sj_downtown_512.html
URL 12.18 Gary-Chicago: http://www.travelinfo.org/GCM/garychicago-java.html
URL 12.19 Bay Area Traffic Report: http://www.bayinsider.com/autos/traffic/

URL 12.20 Current CompuTraffic Report: http://www.computraffic.com/
URL 12.21 Hampton Roads Traffic Info: http://www.vdot.state.va.us/roads/tunnel.html
URL 12.22 Real Time Traffic Disneyland Area: (no longer available)
URL 12.23 Athens Real-Time Traffic Congestion Map: http://www.transport.ntua.gr/map/
URL 12.24 DRIVES demo page: http://www.globisdata.ca/members/tomap.html
URL 12.25 Vauxhall BuyPower Traffic.Net: http://buypower.vauxhall.co.uk/trafficnet/
URL 12.26 ANWB traffic information: http://verkeer.anwb.org/
URL 12.27 Gary-Chicago-Milwaukee (CGM) Corridor Home Page: http://www.ai.eecs.uic.edu/GCM/GCM.html
URL 12.28 Vegagerdin: http://www.vegag.is/faerd/indexe.html
URL 12.29 Weekly Interstate Construction: http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/information-office/const.htm
URL 12.30 Metro Commute: http://metrocommute.com/
URL 12.31 Startribune.com: http://www.startribune.com/graphics/flash/00/construction99/
URL 12.32 Real.com: http://www.real.com/
URL 12.33 Urban Traffic Control Centre: (no longer available)
URL 12.34 Arizona Department of Transportation - Highway Closure and Restriction: System http://www.azfms.com/HCRS/f.html
URL 12.35 Hamton Roads Traffic: http://www.hrtide.com/autos/traffic/

Last updated March 26, 2002

Sites providing information on travelling by car are divided into two categories: Sites offering information on routing and traffic conditions. Routing facilities are offered as a tool under mapping engines like MapQuest. Most often routing facilities do not take into account current traffic conditions. Sites providing data on traffic conditions on the other hand offer time-sensitive information on primarily incidents and traffic density.
Routing facilities offer information on: route definition and description, estimated travel time and distance. Most often information is provided through maps accompanied by text and detail maps where start and destination points are given. These maps are in general not clickable. Sites providing information on traffic density and incidents deal with traffic speed, congestion, volume, construction, closures, accidents and weather conditions. Information on these aspects are provided through web cams, text and maps. This up-to-date information is gathered through a network of video cameras and traffic counters. The information is offered through separate maps or combined into one map. In the latter special techniques are applied to enable the user to turn layers on and off. Information on incidents and traffic density is mostly visualised through symbols that are either non-clickable, interactive or dynamic.
Taking into account user needs improvements encompass functionality, user interface and graphics. Routing facilities should provide more functionality like their CD-ROM counterparts, e.g. measuring distances and changing the look of maps. The interface should be transparent and not too complex. Concerning the graphics, information should be visualised more through maps than text. When considering 'traffic maps' special attention needs to go to the size of a symbol, better usage of visual variables, visual hierarchy, generalisation, legends and map structure. In the latter case most often too many aspects are combined into one map.

Last updated March 26, 2002