As Los Angeles drivers prepare for the expected impact of the 405
freeway closure, heralded as "Carmageddon II," TomTom is sharing tips
and recommendations for L.A.-area motorists to better navigate around
the city this weekend, Sept. 28-30.
According to TomTom's database of car-centric speed and travel time
data, the citywide campaign encouraging drivers to stay local and to
avoid cross-town travel was successful during "Carmageddon I," which
occurred on July 16 and 17, 2011. TomTom's historical database confirms
that the number of traffic jams on the Westside of Los Angeles were
minimal between the evening of Friday, July 15 through Sunday, July 17.
In fact, most drivers were off or away from the 405 freeway as much as
four hours before the freeway was closed.
"According to our research, Los Angeles is consistently among the top
ranking cities with the worst traffic conditions in North America," said
Nick Cohn, head of congestion research for TomTom. "With such
challenging conditions present on a normal day, we strongly advise
Angelenos to, once again, cooperate with authorities and stay close to
home this weekend in anticipation of the 405 closure."
Cohn also offers the following tips for Los Angeles motorists this
weekend:
-- Use a navigation solution with real-time traffic updates, such as
TomTom HD Traffic. TomTom HD Traffic, available on the TomTom
Navigation app for iPhone/iPad, and its GO LIVE navigation devices,
provides regular, real-time traffic updates for both major highways
and secondary roadways
-- Check live
traffic conditions online before heading out. You can access
TomTom's real-time information for free on its website: http://www.tomtom.com/livetraffic
-- Update your device using your personal computer on Friday evening.
This update will download a free MapShare* patch that will
automatically reroute you away from the 405 freeway this weekend
In addition to solutions for drivers on-the-road, TomTom's database is
available for traffic management agencies and government
departments of transportation. The database helps users navigate
potential traffic challenges, now and in the future by analyzing traffic
trends using more than six trillion anonymous data points.
"TomTom's rich historical data provides detailed speed and travel time
data for any time of day and day of week," added Cohn. "This enables our
customer to conduct highly customized analyses that could ultimately
lead to better management of a situation like the bridge demolition work
in LA."
Traffic management agencies can also get access to real-time traffic
information made available through TomTom HD Traffic.
For further information, please visit www.tomtom.com.
