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[valnar]

I just left this feedback on Google Maps from my PC.  I figured if others did the same (in your own words), perhaps we could get Google to further add data to help us EV drivers.

Code: [Select]

Hi.  I have a Zero electric motorcycle and because of the limited range (same may be true of all EV's), a nice addition to the map would be listing the average MPH speed from point A to point B, as well as the HIGHEST speed limit along a particular route.

I know you can't calculate exactly how far my battery will go, but having just those two pieces of information would be helpful and perhaps, not too intrusive to list for those who don't care.  Likewise, in emerging countries where vehicles may be speed limited (like a mere 50cc scooter), it would be good for someone to know if their vehicle can even legally make the trip at the speed required.

Thank you!

[TheRan]

I've wondered for a long time why Google maps doesn't list the speed limits for roads, I imagine it's data they have access to and is factored into their ETA measurements. I've thought about looking for some different software to try if it has this feature (even though Google maps is really convenient), have you already done some searching? The only other navigation software I know about (obviously more do exist) is Waze but I haven't gotten around to trying it yet. A buddy told me it's based off Google maps in some way, and I think he said it has speed camera alerts so may have speed limit information as well (of course to be useful to us it would need to be viewable when planning a route).

[valnar]

Yeah I already looked high and low for this info and couldn't find it.  I figured Google themselves would have the best inclination to add this seeing how they are amongst the land of Zero Motorcycles.

[Crissa]

I miss being able to select shortest path vs shortest time, that would be an advantage.

-Crissa

[Curt]

I don't think Google Maps cares one whit about the speed limit on any road section. It cares only about actual traffic speeds. The speed limits naturally figure in (including the ignoring of them). Congestion at traffic lights and stop signs also figure in.

Google has continuous traffic speed feedback from all Maps users and calculates a database of the long term average speeds of all road segments based on time of day. It's a shit ton of data. They combine that with the current conditions for routing around unusual congestion, and the result is usually rather accurate.

I think what you're asking for is visibility into that database. Wouldn't it be nice if they added a layer showing average speeds for each segment, along with an input for time of day (you can already input time of day for route time calculation).

Google acquired Waze, and as far as I can tell, has not merged them other than transferring certain information from Waze to Maps, including speed trap information and possibly gas prices, etc.

[JaimeC]

Based on my experience with Garmin's mapping data, using posted speed limits in calculating a route is WORTHLESS.  For example, here on Long Island, the posted speed limits for Jericho Turnpike and the Long Island Expressway is 55mph.  In reality, if you're not doing AT LEAST 70 mph on the Expressway, you're going to get run off the road or passed and cut off more times than you'd care to think about.

On the other hand, with all of the traffic lights and busy intersections, you'll be LUCKY to average 30 mph on Jericho Turnpike.  But Garmin treats both roads identically and makes some of the DUMBEST routing decisions I've ever seen.  I got better results with the previous generation of Garmin GPS units when I was able to input my OWN values for average speeds on freeways, secondary roads and surface streets.

I'll NEVER forget when, on my first trip to Daytona Beach using my brand new Garmin unit, it took me off of I-95 (posted speed limit 55, actually doing 70-75) and onto a secondary road outside of Washington DC (posted speed limit 55, actually NOT MOVING AT ALL because of heavy traffic congestion) all because the route would've saved TWO MILES.

The Google Navigator (which incorporates data from WAZE which Google owns) is more accurate as it gauges the speed traffic is ACTUALLY moving.  That changes from hour to hour and is not static.

[Crissa]

Whether traffic is moving or not is mostly irrelevant to a motorcycle in California, tho.

Sometimes I get better throughput in heavy traffic - because I can lane split up to lights - than I do in moderate traffic that leaves me dodging cars.

-Crissa

[JaimeC]

Whether traffic is moving or not is mostly irrelevant to a motorcycle in California, tho.

Sometimes I get better throughput in heavy traffic - because I can lane split up to lights - than I do in moderate traffic that leaves me dodging cars.

-Crissa

Unfortunately most of the country isn't as civilized as California.  At least I can buzz along in the HOV lane legally when traffic is stalled on the main roadway... but only the Long Island Expressway has an HOV lane.  Our other highways do not.

[togo]

> I miss being able to select shortest path vs shortest time, that would be an advantage.

Yes, finding the absolute-shortest routes through San Francisco gave me great fun routes, twisting through neighborhoods right over the top of the steep hills that car routing would take me around.

[Doug S]

I've found (mostly using Google maps in my car) that the traffic estimation is pretty useful and reasonably accurate, up to a point. But when traffic gets REALLY slow, it underestimates how much of an impact the traffic will have. I had it tell me it would be 45 minutes home one day because of heavy traffic, but it took me 1-1/2 hours. I suspect it's just rounding errors and the mathematics of very small numbers...2 mph and 4 mph aren't very far apart in an absolute sense, but one causes the trip to take twice as much time as the other. It doesn't seem like Google maps handles that sort of situation very well.

Or it may be a real effect. It doesn't take much extra traffic to slow a 4 mph jam into a 2 mph one. Things get very unpredictable that far down in the mud. Signal-to-noise ratio is next to nothing.