Real-Time Traffic Delivered Right to the Driver's Seat with TrafficGauge Mobile Traffic Map
SEATTLE--Sept. 7, 2004--| New Technology Enables L.A./Orange County Commuters to Outsmart Traffic -- Anytime and Anywhere |
With summer vacations over and back-to-school starting throughout Los Angeles and Orange County, traffic is going to be an unavoidable nightmare...or, maybe not.
TrafficGauge Inc., a company committed to reducing wasted time and unnecessary stress on the road, will forever change the way drivers receive traffic updates when it launches the first real-time mobile traffic map for Los Angeles and Orange County. The TrafficGauge(TM) Mobile Traffic Map will help drivers outsmart traffic congestion.
TrafficGauge gives drivers a birds-eye view of Los Angeles and Orange County freeways, helping them pinpoint traffic slowdowns to make better driving decisions, such as taking an alternative route, knowing how much time to allow for a trip, or by simply deciding to not venture into traffic altogether. The handheld, wireless device works right out of the box and can be carried in a pocket or purse, or mounted on the vehicle dashboard or windshield. With a quick glance at the TrafficGauge fixed map, commuters can quickly assess which freeway is stop-and-go, slow or clear, right from the driver's seat. The device requires no scrolling and is always on.
TrafficGauge CEO Eric Meyer sees TrafficGauge as a natural fit for Los Angeles: "L.A. is a car-loving city with a web of major freeways; it was the logical next step for our rollout to major markets throughout the country. The city also consistently ranks amongst the nation's worst in traffic congestion. With TrafficGauge, drivers are armed with information, delivered right at the driver's seat, allowing them to make better decisions about their commute."
The TrafficGauge(TM) Mobile Traffic Map covers north to Burbank, Pasadena, and Glendale; extends east to San Dimas, Pomona, and Anaheim; reaches south to Irvine and Costa Mesa, including the "Orange Crush;" and borders the Pacific Ocean at Santa Monica, LAX, and Long Beach. The screen even indicates when there are home games for the Dodgers, Anaheim Angels, Lakers, and Clippers, as well as UCLA and USC home football games. This information allows drivers to prepare for slow-moving traffic in and around sports venues. TrafficGauge is particularly useful for commuters, sales professionals, mobile moms, and individuals who drive a lot on Los Angeles and Orange County freeways, such as delivery drivers, contractors, and service technicians.
The first TrafficGauge device, which launched in the Seattle market just over a year ago, has been documented to save users on average 4.8 hours a month. In Seattle, the device taps into the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) data source. The Los Angeles/Orange County TrafficGauge receives official government traffic data directly from Caltrans and Metro.
"Caltrans has taken another step toward improving mobility on local freeways by making real time traffic data available to TrafficGauge," said Doug Failing, Director, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
Data from wire sensor loops under the freeways is gathered by Caltrans, which then provides this information to Metro via the Regional Integration of Intelligent Transportation Systems (RITTS). This information is then provided as a public service to the community via their respective websites. TrafficGauge accesses the traffic data information and sends a wireless broadcast of this information - up to every four minutes during peak traffic hours -- to its hand-held wireless mobile traffic map device. In doing so, commuters are provided with a continuously updated snapshot of ever-changing traffic conditions. With its "always on" feature, TrafficGauge shows how dramatically traffic conditions can change in just a matter of minutes and allow users, at a moment's notice, to pick a quicker route.
"TrafficGauge is the ultimate 'just-in-time' technology for the average Los Angeles freeway traveler. Easy to understand, affordable, and practical, this portable device gives drivers useful real-time traffic information that will help them save time in navigating L.A.'s congested freeway network. It is a welcomed and needed addition to traffic management tools," said Frances Banerjee, former General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and a TrafficGauge Advisory Board member.
Benefits of the TrafficGauge device include:
-- Pinpoints traffic slowdowns - to pick a quicker route
-- Shows current freeway traffic conditions - updated as often as every four minutes
-- Covers over 850 freeway miles throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties
-- Uses official government traffic data from Caltrans and Metro
-- Displays a fixed, "at-a-glance" map - always on and no scrolling
Starting today, TrafficGauge can be purchased for $79.95, which includes one free month of traffic service, with updates as often as every four minutes. There is no activation fee and no required contract. Additional service can be purchased for $6.99 a month. Specially discounted packages are available for six-months ($36.99) and two years ($129.99). TrafficGauge comes with a 30-day, no-risk money- back guarantee as well as a one-year warranty. The device is available directly through the company website at www.trafficgauge.com or by calling 1-866-872-3345. Beginning this holiday season, TrafficGauge also will be available at retail locations in the greater Los Angeles area.
About TrafficGauge
TrafficGauge Inc., a privately held corporation, is headquartered in Seattle where it develops and manufactures the TrafficGauge Mobile Traffic Map. The company is committed to saving wasted time and unnecessary stress on the road by delivering real-time traffic information where it's needed most -- in the car. For more information visit the web at www.trafficgauge.com.
ADDITIONAL LOS ANGELES TRAFFIC FACTS AND FIGURES
The Texas Transportation Institute, "2003 Urban Mobility Report," June 2003, http://mobility/tamu.edu, reports the following about Los Angeles traffic:
-- Los Angeles has the worst "Travel Time Index" at 1.76, meaning for every one-hour trip with light traffic, it takes one hour and 45 minutes at rush hour.
-- Los Angeles is the second worst area in the country in annual delay per rush hour traveler. (The combined areas of New York - Northwestern New Jersey ranks first.)
-- People who live in the area experience 603,664 hours of delay annually or 51 hours per person.
-- 906 million gallons of gasoline are wasted as a result of the above-cited delays.
-- The annual cost of congestion has been calculated at $8.4 billion or $7,170 for every man, woman and child in the area.