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Google maps does update route in real time. They also integrate Waze data since they own them. Waze was taking heat for routing onto residential side streets wh

Google maps does update route in real time. They also integrate Waze data since they own them. Waze was taking heat for routing onto residential side streets which makes me wonder if Google is taking a softer approach. Interesting that you mapped your route with Google maps and Waze at the same time and compared them. I'll have to give that a shot.

brewdad 9y ago
In my area Waze does a better job at anticipating future traffic patterns. For example, every Thursday I have to get my son from school and drive across town starting at 5pm. It's a 20 minute drive if there's no traffic and 30-35 minutes typically and we only have 40 minutes to get from A to B. Google will pick a route that is fast at 5pm, but builds a lot of traffic at the Nike headquarters by the time we reach it 15 minutes later. Waze seems to understand this better and has never routed me into that traffic jam.
wldcordeiro 9y ago
In Google I see options for enabling which types of roads to prefer.
jedberg 9y ago
They update in real time, but Waze predicts traffic, which is better. For example, in the Bay Area, if you are coming from Sunnyvale and going to Berkeley, you could go up the peninsula side or the east side. GMaps might tell you to take the peninsula route, because right now, the bridge is clear. Waze however will predict that the bridge will be crowded in 40 minutes when you get there, so it will take you up the east bay side. GMaps may notice the bridge is crowded when you get there, but at the point it can't reroute you, because you're already on the wrong side of the bay, so it will just update your ETA. What I've found is that the Waze ETA is almost always accurate when I start the trip, whereas the GMaps one keeps updating as I go.
- tonfa 9y ago
  Did you actually do the experiment recently? I'd be surprised if gmaps doesn't do the prediction you describe (I used to be in a sister team of the team doing traffic prediction).
- bethling 9y ago
  I actually find the opposite. :) Google Map's estimates tend to be close for my work commute (within 5-10 minutes). Waze on the other hand will often give me an estimate that's 20 minutes faster than Google Maps, and with the traffic that eventually pop up on that route, take me 20 minutes longer than what Google Maps estimated.

brewdad 9y ago

In my area Waze does a better job at anticipating future traffic patterns. For example, every Thursday I have to get my son from school and drive across town starting at 5pm. It's a 20 minute drive if there's no traffic and 30-35 minutes typically and we only have 40 minutes to get from A to B. Google will pick a route that is fast at 5pm, but builds a lot of traffic at the Nike headquarters by the time we reach it 15 minutes later. Waze seems to understand this better and has never routed me into that traffic jam.

wldcordeiro 9y ago

In Google I see options for enabling which types of roads to prefer.

jedberg 9y ago

They update in real time, but Waze predicts traffic, which is better. For example, in the Bay Area, if you are coming from Sunnyvale and going to Berkeley, you could go up the peninsula side or the east side. GMaps might tell you to take the peninsula route, because right now, the bridge is clear. Waze however will predict that the bridge will be crowded in 40 minutes when you get there, so it will take you up the east bay side. GMaps may notice the bridge is crowded when you get there, but at the point it can't reroute you, because you're already on the wrong side of the bay, so it will just update your ETA. What I've found is that the Waze ETA is almost always accurate when I start the trip, whereas the GMaps one keeps updating as I go.

tonfa 9y ago
Did you actually do the experiment recently? I'd be surprised if gmaps doesn't do the prediction you describe (I used to be in a sister team of the team doing traffic prediction).
bethling 9y ago
I actually find the opposite. :) Google Map's estimates tend to be close for my work commute (within 5-10 minutes). Waze on the other hand will often give me an estimate that's 20 minutes faster than Google Maps, and with the traffic that eventually pop up on that route, take me 20 minutes longer than what Google Maps estimated.