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I wonder how WAZE interacts with the Breass Paradox. When I started using it, I noticed it could cut 10 minutes off my commute. Over time I noticed that more an

I wonder how WAZE interacts with the Breass Paradox. When I started using it, I noticed it could cut 10 minutes off my commute. Over time I noticed that more and more people were taking shortcuts, and now my commute is longer than it would have been had I just stayed on the standard route 5 years ago. Part of that is surely the growing population with cars in the neighborhoods in-between where I live and where I work, but I wouldn't be surprised if WAZE somehow made traffic worse.

awjr 10y ago
WAZE is interesting as is Google Directions. In effect they have enabled side roads to 'absorb' the increase in car use without having to deal with actual shifting people out of cars into other modes. In the WAZE Driver Satisfaction survey, the Netherlands came out on top. I'm guessing this is because so many people can choose not to drive to work/school/shops/etc. https://www.waze.com/driverindex https://www.waze.com/driverindex The Netherlands also have the happiest children in the world with the best child travel independence. I'm guessing creating a world where active travel (walking and cycling) is built into your environment from the getgo sets you up for life to be active. Their diet is bloody awful. ;)
pdelbarba 10y ago
I recall seeing articles a few years back about SF neighborhoods petitioning google to stop showing cut-through routes that increased the traffic on their side streets. I don't think it went anywhere but google does occasionally bend to this kind of thing (see the Hollywood sign controversy)
saosebastiao 10y ago
Waze ensures that the paradox manifests itself. Braess' paradox relies on individuals acting rationally without respect for the system's behavior. That is exactly what Waze does.
ballenf 10y ago
Waze seems to show few if any shortcuts anymore, until I manually start to take the route. Then the ETA drops by a couple minutes as it re-routes. Don't know if that's in response to complaints, but the shortcuts it continues to offer are usually through low-income areas. People who would be perhaps less likely to complain. /conspiracy theory over When services reach critical mass, they don't need to offer the same value proposition. Only value Waze has left for me is police awareness, but even that has been mostly thwarted by changing police patterns. They rarely camp out in one place anymore and instead operate more like stings -- pull over and nab a speeder in 20-30 seconds.

awjr 10y ago

WAZE is interesting as is Google Directions. In effect they have enabled side roads to 'absorb' the increase in car use without having to deal with actual shifting people out of cars into other modes. In the WAZE Driver Satisfaction survey, the Netherlands came out on top. I'm guessing this is because so many people can choose not to drive to work/school/shops/etc. https://www.waze.com/driverindex https://www.waze.com/driverindex The Netherlands also have the happiest children in the world with the best child travel independence. I'm guessing creating a world where active travel (walking and cycling) is built into your environment from the getgo sets you up for life to be active. Their diet is bloody awful. ;)

pdelbarba 10y ago

I recall seeing articles a few years back about SF neighborhoods petitioning google to stop showing cut-through routes that increased the traffic on their side streets. I don't think it went anywhere but google does occasionally bend to this kind of thing (see the Hollywood sign controversy)

saosebastiao 10y ago

Waze ensures that the paradox manifests itself. Braess' paradox relies on individuals acting rationally without respect for the system's behavior. That is exactly what Waze does.

ballenf 10y ago

Waze seems to show few if any shortcuts anymore, until I manually start to take the route. Then the ETA drops by a couple minutes as it re-routes. Don't know if that's in response to complaints, but the shortcuts it continues to offer are usually through low-income areas. People who would be perhaps less likely to complain. /conspiracy theory over When services reach critical mass, they don't need to offer the same value proposition. Only value Waze has left for me is police awareness, but even that has been mostly thwarted by changing police patterns. They rarely camp out in one place anymore and instead operate more like stings -- pull over and nab a speeder in 20-30 seconds.