WisDOT: 2-way data share aimed at easing congestion, better informing motorists



MILWAUKEE -- The Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced Tuesday, January 10th a data-sharing partnership with Waze, the free, real-time crowdsourced traffic and navigation app. It's powered by the world’s largest community of drivers.

DOT officials said this is part of a next generation traveler information system that the department is launching in 2017.

"And that gives us the opportunity to report the information, confirm it, and respond to it faster, and on more roadways than we currently can," said Liz Schneider, freeway operations engineer with WisDOT.

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Waze provides partners with real-time, anonymous, Waze-generated incident and slow-down information directly from the source: drivers themselves. In exchange, WisDOT provides real-time government-reported construction, crash and road closure data from 511 Wisconsin to Waze.

Waze data will be incorporated in to a redesigned 511 Wisconsin website coming online this spring.

"I was comparing our information on 511 with the information on Waze, and everything lines up really well," said Schneider.

Waze provides up-to-date traffic information like speeds, accidents and navigation based on reports provided by users.

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"That gives us the opportunity to go out and address those issues," said Paul Keltner; traffic management supervisor with WisDOT.

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The WisDOT will provide construction, crash, and road closure data through its 511 travel information system.

"As we are doing traffic planning for special events, we're also including information to Waze so they can alert their users that a major traffic event is coming, and maybe talk about some of the impacts on the freeways and highway and streets," said Keltner.

The agreement with WisDOT is part of the Connected Citizens Program offered by Waze.

"Safe and efficient transportation is what we're looking for," said Keltner.

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