TripCheck screenshot
The state has displayed user-submitted data, such as reported crashes and traffic jams, on its online TripCheck map for about a month.
(tripcheck.com)
The Oregon transportation department and the crowd-sourced navigation app Waze have inked an agreement to share real-time traffic data.
The state has displayed user-submitted data from Waze, such as reported crashes and traffic jams, on its online TripCheck map for about a month. The Oregon Department of Transportation is also sending data from its dispatch centers to Waze, which the Google subsidiary could add to its software.
"Our economy relies on the ability of traffic to move through, so if we can put information into the hands of the consumers to help them avoid traffic jams, that's good for everybody," ODOT spokeswoman Shelley Snow said.
The state is trying to integrate more third-party reports into its TripCheck maps. Washington County, for example, now posts its own construction projects that could affect traffic.
Waze users, however, are the first non-governmental contributors.
Waze relies on users to submit traffic reports in real time, rewarding those reports with points and thank-yous from other users. The app discourages drivers from typing while the car is in motion, but allows drivers to report crashes or hazards with a couple of taps.
The potential for encouraging distraction was a concern for the state, Snow said. She said transportation officials heard from other states that most drivers use the app when they're stopped in traffic, rather than while their vehicle is in motion.
"What we will continue to encourage is, if you want to enter the information and you're the driver, that you've pulled off the road to a safe place," she said. "Or ask someone else in the car to enter the information."
TripCheck won't display all user reports. It will use an algorithm to try and screen out minor incidents or false reports.
It also won't use one of Waze's more controversial features, which allows users to report the locations of police vehicles. Organizations including the Fraternal Order of Police, National Sheriffs Association and the Los Angeles Police Department have said it could put officers in danger, though no attacks on police have been tied to the app.
Other policing agencies, however, have said they want to be seen because a visible presence will help deter crime and traffic violations.
-- Elliot Njus
enjus@oregonian.com
503-294-5034
@enjus