Inrix rolls out traffic alerts

Inrix has announced Nationwide Traffic Alerts, designed to provide real-time information on abnormal traffic congestion on more than 100,000 miles of major arterials, freeways and highways.

The company’s Smart Dust Network will provide the data for the alerts. According to Inrix, Smart Dust receives information from more than 800,000 GPS-enabled vehicles as well as sensors placed on over 9,000 miles of road, processing billions of data points each month to detect traffic.

Nationwide Traffic Alerts will provide real-time traffic speeds on more than 55,000 miles in 106 metropolitan areas as well as 2500 alerts per day on 45,000 roadway miles in areas that previously had little or no coverage, Inrix said.

“More and more MapQuest users are planning trips online and Nationwide Traffic Alerts will make destination planning even more convenient,” said Christian Dwyer, senior vp & gm of MapQuest, which recently integrated Inrix traffic information into its website and wireless services. “MapQuest users will be able to get information about unusual traffic congestion as it happens, as well as highway construction and planned traffic-impeding events while online or have alerts sent directly to their mobile devices.”