Navtraffic in MARYLAND, DC, VA

[rud]

Hello,

 

I know there is already topics about this on this forum, but in my opinion this could be sort of a time sensitive issue that threads from 2007 won't be able to answer as well, so I am gonna ask again.

 

I just bought a DNX8120, and I am considering adding XM.

For XM NAVTRAFFIC subscribers, how is the service working for you in the Maryland, DC, Virginia areas?

 

In a previous thread (dated back in 2007) I read that the beltway coverage on the maryland side is bad as well as many of the main alternates. Has this improved?

 

Could anyone give me details on which areas and roads in maryland have specifically good coverage and which are very bad?

 

if i cant get 495 and 95 and some other important roads on there then i wonder what the point of this thing is

[05Stang-GT]

Its better than nothing, sometimes its behind, but sometimes its up to date...you can check the coverage here...

 

http://www.xmradio.com/navtraffic/market_coverage.xmc

[psbuckland]

I have been using XM Navtraffic for about 2 years around DC. It has been upgraded alot over that time. I travel 495 and 270 and both are solid with flow info/incidents. Around the beltway the flow indicators are pretty accurate and incidents have been showing up before they are big problems. It is well worth the price for me. I recently had my D2 stolen and find myself lost without it!

 

PSB

[axxman]

I used it in Atlanta last year, now I am in dc, commuting from laurel MD to reston VA. it shows the traffic backups, problem is, there is no alternative route for me, I have to go over the chain bridge on 495.

 

along 95 it seems to work ok, although it failed to recognize a backup leading to the harbor tunnels in baltimore one saturday morning.

 

I usually find myself hitting the xm traffic info station to get the full picture.

 

if you already have the tuner, I would say go ahead and try it out for a couple months, otherwise, I would probably hold off.

[lseguy1]

ive had it for over a year. My commute is from Laurel to Bethesda. In short, it's not been worth it. Traffic info is often late, and often innacurate.

[kruff10]

i live in the d.c. area and have the xm nav traffic and its for the most part up tp date and i think it`s only.............

 

 

 

$3.99 per month so no biggie on price

[lseguy1]

Just as an example. On Thursday morning I left Laurel heading to North Carolina. Traffic at the mixing bowl (springlfield) was moving at approx 20mph from Springfield down to just north of Potomac Mills Mall exit. The problem apparently was due to a fender bender near Potomac Mills that occurred about an hour before I made it down..to the fender bender area. NavTraffic reported "there are no traffic incidents on your route". WTF. Came back from NC to Laurel yesterday. Traffic on I95 north was literally stop and go almost from Fredericksburg to Springfield. The XM traffic channel reported an accident at the Prince William parkway, and another in Springfield..but the NavTraffic reported absolutely..nothing. Unacceptable.

[sallen820]

I don't think it's really worth it. Everyone knows the major traffic tie ups in the area they NEVER change. I have seen it take 30-45 minutes for the nav traffic to update you on any accidents that happen. Traffic flow is usually pretty good but as with accidents it takes a while for it to update when something happens. The price of it is so cheap thats why I haven't cancelled it. All in all it has NEVER gotten me around traffic tie ups.

[JohnnyDepp]

I've used a D3 with XM NavTraffic in the DC area for 18 months. It's accurate about 50% of the time at best. Like other posters, I'm sometimes sitting in a parking lot on 495 and the D3 shows the road as green, no issues. Other times, it's somewhat accurate.

 

Generally it's not that trustworthy. Also, there are SO MANY people driving around DC and EVERYONE has a GPS system of one type or another, so everyone simply gets onto the secondary routes which then get backed up themselves. And XM NavTraffic shows NOTHING for secondary routes or surface streets. So you have no idea if Route 7, or Nutley St, or Georgia Avenue are backup up because of incidents on the nearby major highways.

 

All the traffic services (XM, FM-TDS, etc.) are getting useless in my opinion -- because everyone has them now and everyone just backs up the secondary roads, with no way of knowing since none of the services report on those secondary routes.

 

The only car-based traffic reporting system that has a hope of working in the future (in my opinion) is the "Dash" series of nav systems they use a lot out in California. Those show ACUTAL speeds of all Dash-equipped vehicles in your area...so it's REALITY, not simply reports of what WAS reality 30 minutes earlier....

 

- JD