MS Clearflow To Help Drivers Avoid Traffic Jams

Pioneer Woman writes "Microsoft announced plans to introduce a Web-based service for driving directions that incorporates complex software models to help users avoid traffic jams. The system is intended to reflect the complex traffic interactions that occur as traffic backs up on freeways and spills over onto city streets and will be freely available as part of the company's Live.com site for 72 cities in the US. Microsoft researchers designed algorithms that modeled traffic behavior by collecting trip data from Microsoft employees who volunteered to carry GPS units in their cars. In the end they were able to build a model for predicting traffic based on four years of data, effectively creating individual 'personalities' for over 800,000 road segments in the Seattle region. In all the system tracks about 60 million road segments in the US."

Traffic James?

Does KD use Microsoft Spell-cheque?

Re:Traffic James?

No, it's just that the system is designed for chauffeur-driven cars.

Re:Traffic James?

I for one would like to welcome our traffic-monitoring overlord... James.

Re:Traffic James?

it seems that microsoft think we need help with driving.. on the contrary I think it's microsoft that need help with drivers.

Re:Traffic James?

Im Traffic James bitch!

Re:Traffic James?

I love you too, man.

well ...

Traffic James *IS* a dick.

Re:well ...

Traffic James *IS* a dick.

And if that isn't a Slashdot memetag by bedtime, there's ain't no justice.

Tags: trafficjamesisadick

Woo!

Re:but seriously

I guess they decided to take phrases "computer crash" and "blue screen of death" seriously.

I could only imagine the program modifying GPS directions on the fly:

- Left turn ahead.
- Traffic ahead.
- Please turn right and over the railing
- Please fall 200 feet to the road below and proceed west on highway 53.

Re:but seriously

You are about to fall 200 feet to a road below.[Cancel] [Allow]

Re:well ...

Traffic James *IS* a dick.

Hey - that's completely unfair! You don't even know me!

Stop Traffic Jams

I have a way to help stop traffic jams without fancy algorithms: stop tailgating the person in front of you. That way every time that person slows down slightly you don't have to slam on your brakes, thus requiring people behind you to slam on theirs causing a buildup of cars that aren't going anywhere even if traffic isn't that heavy.

Re:Stop Traffic Jams

Sure if you would just get off your cell phone, get out of the left hand lane and drive the speed limit. I would not have to tailgate.

Re:Stop Traffic Jams

I'd suggest what is called 'defensive driving'. If someone wants to belt it along at ludicrous speed, then let them do it, it's probably best not to be near them. Getting in their way will only encourage them to try something stupid to get round you.

If people looked at driving as a cooperative effort - try and let everyone drive at the speed they want to - then everyone ends having a lot smoother journey. If everyone only acts in their own interests it all gets a bit more stressful and scary.

Re:Stop Traffic Jams

Better still - use public transport.

Ok, ok, I know this sounds like a troll but seriously, when we have a situation where traffic speeds in major cities is declining endlessly we need to look to long term solutions, not tinkering with the symptoms.

Re:Stop Traffic Jams

Ding ding.

Go to Tokyo at rush hour, and observe. The only slowdown that occurs is when one train becomes too full, and people have to wait ~3 minutes for the next one. I never saw a situation where people had to wait for more than one additional train, because the trains can hold a lot of people because they're packed like cattle-cars. On the other hand, Japanese seem to be much better at being fairly quiet and avoiding talking on their cellphones when in such dense quarters, while Americans seem to think that the subway is the best place for talking really loudly on the phone.

Re:Stop Traffic Jams

Better still - use public transport.

Ok, ok, I know this sounds like a troll but seriously, when we have a situation where traffic speeds in major cities is declining endlessly we need to look to long term solutions, not tinkering with the symptoms.

I don't know about your city, but in my city, taking public transport to and from my office would take 2-3x as long on my commute by car, and likely involve at least one transfer.

The problem with public transport, is if it doesn't actually improve my day and make my commute better, I'm not taking it. It's that simple. Make it faster and more convenient to get to my destination, and I'll consider it. I'm not really willing to add 2 hours to my day.

It really is that simple (for me at least). I'd love for public transport to be more usable, but, it isn't. Until it is, the vast majority of people will stick with their cars.

Cheers

Clear type

Microsoft's Cleartype technology makes text more blurry. So what can we expect from Microsoft's Clearflow?

Is Traffic James Related To Ask Jeeves?

Both probably couldn't give me directions to the nearest hooker.

I resent that

Sometimes it just feels like people are conspiring to avoid me, finally I've got some proof!

Swings & Roundabouts

This sounds like a sensible idea but if it becomes widespread then the metrics it has used for it's monitoring of the traffic conditions are going to change as people choose new routes based on it's suggestions with the upshot that previously clear routes are now congested.

My own journey to work changes based on the time I leave the house and my local knowledge of the area and problme junctions so I can normally make my way down side streets and 'rat runs' without encountering much traffic. The last thing I want is for anyone else to be told these routes and start to clog them up. It is amazing though the difference it can make if you take what is in theory a slightly longer route to get around stupidly placed roundabouts or congested main roads.

I guess ultimately if people had a perfect knowledge of the traffic situation the congestion would even out so everywhere is just congested at rush hour rather than extremely congested but the basic problem, in the UK at least, is that there just aren't enough roads. Here in Birmingham during the recent building work in the city centre there were some traffic conditions which would just lead inevitably to total gridlock as jams backed up across islands causing more jams which looped all the way around town to hold up the traffic in the original jam even more. We just need more roads.

Re:Swings & Roundabouts

We just need more roads

Or less cars. Use the bus!

Who the hell is Traffic James?

Some cop with a pink mohawk?

The Unfortunate Fate of Traffic James

Aye, 'tis been a while since I heard the name of the Hound of the Highway, Traffic James.

Jim Axelman was once an ordinary man. He had a wife, three kids, even a Labrador retriever named Buddy. But his life was changed forever as he drove to work on fateful day. You see, he was trying to change lanes while talking on his cell phone and jamming out to some Led Zeppelin playing on the classic cock station when he unfortunately cut off a Gypsy minivan-mom. The Gypsy, being a member of the same PTA as Jim, knew who he was and cursed his name to the Heavens. Since that day, he's been forced to drive the streets.

His blinkers never work. If you're in a hurry, he slows you down. If you're not rushed, he tailgates. He can't stop for food or bathroom breaks, his odometer never changes. He forever wanders the Earth in his dark blue Geo Metro.

It's been said that some nights, on an empty country road.... you can still hear the a never-ending play of Kashmir on the wind.

Traf-o-data is Traf-o-data again...

Before Microsoft ever even did BASIC, Gates and Co had an abortive project called Traf-o-Data, which was somehow to help city planners with traffic management. Now Microsoft has come full circle. I wonder what's next.. after hearing so much about C# as the language of the future, are we going to get a big deal of BASIC?