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As I'm driving somewhere Google can suggest me an alternate route if it sees that traffic is slow ahead and there is a faster route that opens up. Google takes

by Fogest 11y ago

As I'm driving somewhere Google can suggest me an alternate route if it sees that traffic is slow ahead and there is a faster route that opens up. Google takes into account construction that may be happening on streets and tries to avoid it if will slow my drive down. Googles ETA's are more accurate and reliable. Googles directions seems to be a lot better taking me on more main streets rather than poorly maintained odd side roads.

Piskvorrr 11y ago
I believe the traffic data has improved a lot when Google has acquired Waze - with such data collection network, of course they have great, realtime data (not complaining; just noting that building such thing takes more than just money).
- Fogest 11y ago
  My area does not have many people who use Waze. Not much of the data in my area would come from Waze. However they do take data from Android phones and apple phones with Google Maps and can use their locations to find roads that have a lot of people on them. This is great for giving everyone live traffic data. This is something that is hard to compete with. See, most of the time when I am driving I know where I am going, but I want to know the fastest way there when it is busy. Sometimes an accident happens, or some event happened and it is just busy a specific way. I want to know that. OSM can't really help me there. Google maps does. I like to Skydive as well; that is an almost 2 hour drive each way through busy Toronto, Ontario. It can get pretty busy around there. Google suggests me the fastest route there and reroutes if a faster route opens. My last drive there I saved 15 minutes just because Google maps directed me around a traffic jam. If I was using an OSM app I would have had to go right through that traffic jam and lost 15 minutes of time, and burned more gas. I love OSM, and gladly contribute edits and gps traces to it, but I still can't use it as a primary navigation app until it can compete which it likely will never be able to.
  - Piskvorrr 11y ago
    I completely agree - there are some tasks (such as "collecting realtime, ephemeral data") for which volunteer efforts are less suited for than automated data collection (which requires significant upfront investment).
rmc 11y ago
Yes that's what I figured. All of that is only possible if you have traffic (or can read the TMC for construction alerts). OSM is unable, now, to get that sort of traffic details, so can't route based on it.

by Fogest 11y ago

Piskvorrr 11y ago

I believe the traffic data has improved a lot when Google has acquired Waze - with such data collection network, of course they have great, realtime data (not complaining; just noting that building such thing takes more than just money).

Fogest 11y ago
My area does not have many people who use Waze. Not much of the data in my area would come from Waze. However they do take data from Android phones and apple phones with Google Maps and can use their locations to find roads that have a lot of people on them. This is great for giving everyone live traffic data. This is something that is hard to compete with. See, most of the time when I am driving I know where I am going, but I want to know the fastest way there when it is busy. Sometimes an accident happens, or some event happened and it is just busy a specific way. I want to know that. OSM can't really help me there. Google maps does. I like to Skydive as well; that is an almost 2 hour drive each way through busy Toronto, Ontario. It can get pretty busy around there. Google suggests me the fastest route there and reroutes if a faster route opens. My last drive there I saved 15 minutes just because Google maps directed me around a traffic jam. If I was using an OSM app I would have had to go right through that traffic jam and lost 15 minutes of time, and burned more gas. I love OSM, and gladly contribute edits and gps traces to it, but I still can't use it as a primary navigation app until it can compete which it likely will never be able to.
- Piskvorrr 11y ago
  I completely agree - there are some tasks (such as "collecting realtime, ephemeral data") for which volunteer efforts are less suited for than automated data collection (which requires significant upfront investment).

rmc 11y ago

Yes that's what I figured. All of that is only possible if you have traffic (or can read the TMC for construction alerts). OSM is unable, now, to get that sort of traffic details, so can't route based on it.