Esri and Waze partner to offer real-time traffic data to cities

Mapping and location intelligence specialist Esri has teamed up with Google’s GPS navigation app Waze to provide real-time traffic data across cities.

As part of the collaboration, Waze live alert data will now be available in Esri’s ArcGIS Marketplace for free to members of the Waze Connected Citizens Program.

The programme allows two-way sharing of publicly available traffic and road condition information.

Through the data-sharing plan, traffic authorities will have instant access to similar types of incident reports that Waze users already share with each other.

This allows personnel to make data-driven infrastructure decisions and enhance the efficiency of incident response.

Esri civic technology manager Andrew Stauffer said: “Municipalities can now leverage near up-to-the-minute reports without having to write code or purchase additional software.

“Mapped Waze data is available immediately in all ArcGIS apps, where traffic engineers and even city planners can use it to maintain and build safer, more efficient transportation systems.”

Waze is fully supported by ArcGIS Online, where its live feed of mapped traffic alert, congestion, accident and street damage information can be instantly used in applications.

To access crowdsourced data, governments can sign up for the free Waze Connected Citizens Program and start working with the alert data in ArcGIS to create operational dashboards that departments can use immediately.

Waze leverages mobile technology and recommends the fastest routes based on real-time traffic data from millions of users.