Google Maps upgrade now helps non-highway drivers avoid traffic jams

Élyse Betters | Apr 2 2012 - 12:50 pm PT

Google announced today that its live traffic pattern service will now include roads, not just highways.

“Starting today, if you’re planning a trip for which you anticipate traffic, you can find out what typical traffic is like on these arterial roads, rather than just on highways,” explained Google Maps Software Engineer Szabolcs Payrits on the official Google Lat-Long blog.

Drivers can type their starting and ending points into Google Maps to get directions, but they must enable the traffic layer in the upper right-hand corner, and then click “change” in in the legend to view Typical Traffic on regular roads.

“You can now access this data for important arterials in cities around the world to help you get where you want to go, and on time,” Payrits contended.

Today’s traffic pattern upgrade follows additional Google Maps improvements from the last week that allow drivers to see their estimated time for a journey based on current traffic and transportation method.

Access directions on Google Maps to see this latest feature. The adjusted estimate for current traffic data appears below the time estimate for how long a trip normally takes without traffic hold-ups. Google’s own example below demonstrates how a trip from JFK Airport in Manhattan is quicker via train than a taxi during rush hour.