The real question here (and, I think, the real obstacle) is who owns the relevant data? I'm guessing it's a mismash of TV stations, government agencies (like the BART in California), independent weirdos, etc. Stitching together all of that info would be a huge investment and I doubt anyone could make a Google-like monopoly of it (BART would always give it away free). The payoff is clear because I would gladly pay an extra few bucks a month for the info, but I can't see who would do it today. The mapmakers created the real asset of the GPS world, but who can create the real traffic asset? There's money to be made for the guy that figures it out.

What is the contact info for Garmins' TMC traffic coverage (if anyone knows)?? I need to cancel and get a refund. Their traffic is garbage, period. Either it doesn't show the traffic at all and there's bumper to bumper, it shows traffic but in actuality it's much worse than it appears, or it showws severe traffic and the road is clear!!! Do you know how pissed you get when you're on the service road, because the gps said the highway was jam packed, backed up at lights and you look over to see the highway moving freely??!!! People probably think I'm nutts as I give my 660 the finger.

I think the article hits the nail on the head- all 3 recommendations are important, but the second two are very dependent on the first. I have been using a free traffic alert service from Navteq- you set up routes online (home to work, for example) and set the system to call your cell phone when delays occur. The system is primarily dependent on road sensors, which are extremely sparse outside of major metropolitan areas, as well as secondary roads. Traffic alert data on my routes is very delayed- almost useless. I will use this system as the sentry to alert me when to upgrade to a GPS with traffic capabilities.

The information from MSN (Nuvi 680) seems accurate but SLOW. I don't dispute the information, it's just that it often comes in too late, and clears too late. Also, and I noticed this with a previous device that had TMC (Streetpilot C550) that all these devices do a lousy job on coverage.

I don't expect sensors on all local roads, but in South Florida at least there are certain roads that are major commuting roads, but not major highways. They are constantly experiencing bad traffic during rush hour, and could be programmed as such.

I ran into this issue Saturday. My 660 told me there was an accident on my route and kept trying to divert me off the Interstate onto a secondary highway. The thing was, there was no accident (I kept on the Interstate) and the information was faulty in that it kept telling me to get off the Interstate even though I was fifteen miles past the "scene" of the accident. I could find no way to tel my 660 that I was going to ignore it's warnings and finally stopped the route. I'm disappointed because it was one reason why I forked over the extra money for this unit. I could have got the 200W and saved a couple hundred dollars.

With my nuvi 680, I agree, MSN it good but not always up to date. Delays dont get cleared or new incidents dont appear soon enough. Still waiting for the proposed addition of the Inrix flow data for MSN which was supposed to happen in October but so far still nothing new.
And the main issue is the GPS's dont see the slow traffic on the streets and assumes its at full MPH when in fact the streets it tries to detour to are just as bad if not slower so it ends up taking you longer if you do get off the highway!

Building on what Stephen said in the last paragraph he wrote, may be I am missing something, but I don't see much value in having even good traffic info for a GPS. If we know that the highways are busy during rush hour, then so are the side streets and getting off the highway onto them is slower than just staying on the highway.

Also, if an accident happens that is bad enough to really slow traffic or creates the need to divert traffic from the highway for a while, then everyone will be going around the accident on the secondary streets and it will be slow going no matter which way you go. The gps is not going to have info to tell you to divert around the diverted traffic, and that may take you so far out of the way that it would just take you longer anyway.

If some of you have had positive experiences with the traffic feature, hearing some would be great. Othewise, I don't know if knowing that rush hour traffic is bad does us any good, becuase rush hour traffic is bad everywhere (highway and secondary). In others words, does it do us anygood to know that the highway is backed up, just to get off on a backed up secondary street with traffic lights to contend with. And how many secondary highways that parrallel the major ones are there? I have found a few, but not many.

Bottom line, I don't think even having good traffic data would get us to our destinations much faster anyway. If someone can convince me otherwise, great!

I wonder if the system in Melbourne, Australia will be any better. Checking out any article on the topic will show how they're differentiating themselves from the others.

Here are Inrix STRATEGIC partners.
http://www.inrix.com/strategicpartners.asp
TomTom has partnered with them on September 2005 and will release enhancements/upgrades/updates to there products sometime in 2008 (according to the forums at www.gpsreview.net).

My nuvi 680 is pretty good at alerting me to slow traffic and also accidents. As mentioned by others, sometimes it alerts me too late, meaning too late for me to take an exit in time. I live in Mpls and at times it warns me 6 to 10 miles in advance of slow traffic. Of course when it gives me that much warning its very valuable. All in all, I think the MSN traffic data is far better than not having it at all. I have to believe it will only get better with time.

I'm so glad that I'm using a Navigon 2100 with free traffic. The 2100 uses the Total Traffic Network from Clear Channel. The information is USELESS! The other day in Louisville Kentucky the service warned me of tornadoes, yes I said tornadoes. The weather was clear and not a cloud in the sky. Just two weeks earlier a major road was closed for about 6 hours and the information never showed up. I also had the service tell me that traffic was stop and go on a bridge I was about to cross due to construction. The only thing was that there was no construction. I emailed the folks at the Total Traffic Network and was told that traffic will get better since they made some changes in Louisville. So far the service has not saved me at all.

Wow, I am glad to see that I am not the only one with issues. I was hooked by the new sensors that claim to show the traffic speed on major highways here in the Phila area, when you look at the nightly news they do have average speed on these highways.

Here is the biggest problem that I have and never taken into consideration – before Sirius Radio, I would call into the local radio news center and report events. A few years back I called regarding the Atlantic City Expressway telling them that it was closed and a huge parking lot, their report mentioned an accident blocking the right lane. When I called back they mentioned that the State police forbid them from saying that the road was shut down !!! One side was closed for quite a while with a major accident.

I also just noticed during a major truck accident that closed the PA turnpike in Phila, and stopped traffic for an hour - just past a break area that is blocked off from local roads.
Knowing the area I pulled off into the center to get dinner hoping that the road would start moving in an hour, and checked a small unmarked gated exit that the center workers use from a local road. Wondered if I could somehow bribe or plead to exit, and noticed police on the other side. Recently another accident was backing traffic up and another cop was coincidently sitting there. Maybe I am naïve but I would have guessed that the police would try and stop people from entering the turnpike ahead, but were only worried about people finding a shortcut. WOW

Just received a Magellan 4250 with traffic for Xmas. Last week I called Sirius who also works with the local people and told them that the NJ Turnpike was slowed to 15 mph from a 65 mph limit for 5 miles that I knew of, and they agreed that it was more like 15 miles of backed-up traffic but not considered an incident, of course I disagreed. And this is the only road that links Phila with NYC, and no one cares…

Seems like we have the info and recourses but just need someone to punch it in.

What would be useful is the ability to to send information to TMC/MSN to alert other subscribe drivers of any traffic information that can be helpful during travel. Especially if the information hasn't been broadcast is delayed of broadcasting. This Dash Express unit will be a good prospect for those who are searching for realtime information. And even though, a monthly fee is imposed, after tallying up the cost of map updates, plus the traffic subscription, the monthly fee wil pay for itself. My hope is that Garmin, Tom Tom, Magellan and all the other GPS manufactures who I failed to mention, pay close attention to Dash Express. Because the key to everyone's madness is "REALTIME.