Skip to main content

Boston partners with traffic app Waze on traffic management

Boston, US, has formed a new data-sharing partnership with Google-owned traffic app Waze, to enable the city’s drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to check real time traffic conditions on Boston’s streets. The partnership aims to help improve traffic flow in Boston in two principal ways. As part of the partnership, the City will share information on expected road closures with the 400,000 users of Waze in Greater Boston, helping them find the best way to get around town. In addition, aggregated information o
February 17, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
RSSBoston, US, has formed a new data-sharing partnership with Google-owned traffic app Waze, to enable the city’s drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to check real time traffic conditions on Boston’s streets. The partnership aims to help improve traffic flow in Boston in two principal ways.

As part of the partnership, the City will share information on expected road closures with the 400,000 users of 6897 Waze in Greater Boston, helping them find the best way to get around town.  In addition, aggregated information on traffic reported by Waze users will be shared with the city's traffic management centre (TMC), which adjusts the 550 signalised intersections across the city to improve traffic flow.

Data from Waze is already being used to augment information available from hundreds of intersection cameras citywide and inform traffic signal timing decisions by the TMC.

"Over the past few weeks, it has become clear how critical it is to find innovative ways to improve traffic flow in the City of Boston," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "I thank 1691 Google for their partnership in providing us with another way to use data to better improve how City government works."  

“This partnership will help engineers in the TMC respond to traffic jams, accidents and road hazards quicker”, said Boston Transportation Department commissioner Gina Fiandaca.  “And, looking forward, the Waze data will support us in implementing - and measuring the results of - new congestion management strategies.”

The city is also looking at several different solutions to traffic management, such as working with the 5200 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to evaluate traffic signal prioritisation and its effectiveness along key MBTA routes. Data received from Waze users allows the city to measure the impact on traffic speeds when MBTA vehicles are given priority at traffic signals.

Related Content

  • June 5, 2015
    TfL trials cyclist detection
    New world first trials would allow TfL to better cater for cyclists at key junctions Further on-street trials will take place later this year TfL now given blanket approval from DfT to install low-level cycle signals at junctions Transport for London (TfL) is to trial a new technology that will help give cyclists more time on green lights.
  • August 10, 2016
    London Live partners with Waze traffic and navigation app
    London Live, the capital’s TV channel, is to partner with Waze, the community-based traffic and navigation app, for its live traffic update service which will be launching mid-August 2016. Waze is the free crowd-sourced navigation app that is powered by 50 million monthly users from around the world that contribute real-time road data within the app. London Live viewers will receive the latest real-time reports on live traffic conditions and incidents during morning and evening rush hour commutes. Fo
  • July 17, 2012
    Real time active traffic management improves travel times
    Traffic management centres (TMC) have traditionally served to provide surveillance and responses to traffic incidents and recurring and non-recurring changes in road networks. Typically, a TMC collected field data from the roadway and transit infrastructure and provided the integration necessary for operators to see what was happening and then coordinate a response. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) guided operators on how to respond to a given situation. It eventually became impractical for TMC operat
  • August 27, 2024
    Causeway One.network boost for Tampa workzone safety
    Florida city joins other agencies in US state to deploy Live Link alert platform