No need for an app with Sig Alert's maps

As TUAW's own Steve Sande noted, one of the neat features of Safari on iPhone OS 3.0 is its ability to leverage the HTML 5 geolocation API. One of the more prominent web-based services to use geolocation is Google's Latitude, which allows one to see where their friends are located and what they're currently up to. Whereas Latitude provides you updates on where your friends are and what they're up to, Sigalert.com provides you updates on what's holding up all the traffic at your current location (for California and Arizona only) as well as when you should be expecting it to loosen up.

During a recent weekend afternoon drive from Los Angeles to San Diego, I was stuck in heavy traffic -- unusually heavy considering the day and time I was traveling. Sure, I could have relied on dedicated apps, such as iPhone's built-in map app or MapQuest 4 Mobile, to see exactly where the traffic would loosen up, but I wanted to know exactly what was causing the traffic. So I turned to sigalert.com instead.

For many California and Arizona natives, the term "Sig Alert" provides not-so-good associations. And for good reason: a Sig Alert is "any unplanned event that causes the closing of one lane of traffic for 30 minutes or more." So, when the traffic reporter says that "there's a Sig Alert at fill in your favorite freeway" on the radio, you're most likely in for a waiting game.

When visiting sigalert.com using your iPhone or iPod touch, you are automatically redirected to the service's iPhone formatted site. The site's map view shows a color coded schema -- with green, orange and red hues to indicate traffic conditions -- similar to that on many dedicated map apps.

But the site offers a compelling feature that many of its app store brethren either lack or provide inconsistent results for: location-aware freeway speed and traffic advisory information. In other words, sigalert.com can tell you the speed that cars that pass certain exits are traveling at, as well as what is causing slowdowns in a given area -- such as construction work, narrowing lanes, and traffic accidents.

So while sigalert.com isn't a full-fledged app, its functionality rivals and bests offerings by many of its counterparts in the app store.

Need to find out if there's an accident on the freeway? There's a map for that.

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As TUAW's own Steve Sande noted, one of the neat features of Safari on iPhone OS 3.0 is its ability to leverage the HTML 5 geolocation...

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Dave Schultz

This is one of the myriad ways the iPhone has changed my habits: when I get in my car (I live in San Diego), after I click the belt and turn the key, but before I drive off, I check the sigalert site. Knowledge is power steering.

August 17 2009 at 1:02 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Dave Schultz's comment

Mick Dougherty

SigAlert is great for a few Cities in the Southwest.
There is a new App called Inrix Traffic! that has Traffic and Accident/Construction info over 100 Cities across the US.
There is also Event information for Concerts and Sporting Events, etc.

August 19 2009 at 9:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Kirk Rheinlander

Trivia: SigAlerts were named for Loyd Sigmon, the first radio traffic reporter and co-owner of an LA based AM radio station, whose Los Angeles based traffic reporting was the stuff of legends. He called his reports SigAlerts, and the name stuck. He invented a device to grab LAPD police band broadcasts and record them. He passed away in 2004 at age 95.

http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/sigalert.asp

August 17 2009 at 8:53 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

PsychBob

My issue with SigAlert in the Bay Area is that their incidents and speeds seem to be about 15-20 behind real time. Things can be better than shown....but they can be much worse, too. So not too dependable.

August 17 2009 at 12:21 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Dave

I always use sigalert.com from my desktop before starting a trip, but have used googlemaps app on the iphone while in transit, but that may just change.

Very well done iPhone-friendly, location aware web site.

August 16 2009 at 6:13 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

cycomachead

I don't know...I tried SigAlert's site and it wasn't pleasant. My signal strength was fine, but things just didn't seem to work well.

August 16 2009 at 6:00 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Patrick Bateman

useful

August 16 2009 at 5:20 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply