05/ 30/ 2007
by Emily McMackin
Web site helps drivers steer clear of traffic jams
You've mastered the back roads on your daily commute. But what about when you're on a business trip, trying to get to a meeting at 9 a.m.? Plan ahead for the rush-hour traffic and the headaches you might face with Traffic.com, a free Philadelphia-based Web site that offers condensed traffic reports from the busiest highways in 50 major cities. Just type your zip code into a search bar or click on a U.S. map, and you can instantly find out which roads have the highest "jam factor." Interactive maps not only help you pinpoint exactly where the snarls are, they also provide additional details to help you forge a better route. You can customize the service, arranging to have traffic reports and updates delivered to you at any hour via e-mail, cell phone or PDA. Or you can call Traffic.com's toll-free number for road conditions while stuck at a wreck or a bottleneck. The site even has an RSS feed to add to your Web browser--so you can get the scoop on weather and traffic before getting on the road.
