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TrafficGauge announced its handheld Mobile Traffic Map for Los Angeles and Orange County on September 7, 2004. It was a pocket-sized wireless device with a fixed map of freeway conditions—a pre-smartphone approach to checking traffic at a glance. Its launch announcement described coverage, data updates and subscription prices, but available sources do not establish whether the device or its service operates today.
What was the TrafficGauge Mobile Traffic Map?
TrafficGauge described the product as a portable wireless handheld that could be carried in a pocket or purse, or mounted on a dashboard or windshield. Unlike a scrolling map, its display showed a fixed freeway map, with segments marked “stop-and-go,” “slow” or “clear.” The company presented it as a way to check conditions at a glance; the announcement does not provide independent testing or evidence of how much time it saved drivers.
The Los Angeles launch was part of a broader rollout the company said it planned for major markets. CEO Eric Meyer called Los Angeles “a car-loving city with a web of major freeways” and said it was a logical next market. That was a statement in the product announcement, not an independent assessment. TrafficGauge’s September 7, 2004 launch announcement
What area did its map cover?
The company advertised more than 850 freeway miles in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Its stated coverage reached Burbank, Pasadena and Glendale to the north; San Dimas, Pomona and Anaheim to the east; and Irvine and Costa Mesa—including the “Orange Crush”—to the south. It also named coastal locations Santa Monica, LAX and Long Beach. These are boundaries described in the launch announcement, not an independently verified map survey.
#1 Best Overall
- Bright, high-resolution 5” glass capacitive touchscreen display lets you easily view your route
- Get more situational awareness with alerts for school zones, speed changes, sharp curves and more
- View food, fuel and rest areas along your active route, and see upcoming cities and milestones
- View Tripadvisor traveler ratings for top-rated restaurants, hotels and attractions to help you make the most of road trips
- Directory of U.S. national parks simplifies navigation to entrances, visitor centers and landmarks within the parks
Where did its traffic information come from, and how often did it update?
TrafficGauge’s announcement described a chain from Caltrans freeway sensors to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), through the Regional Integration of Intelligent Transportation Systems (RITTS), and then to TrafficGauge for wireless broadcast to the handheld. It said the device could receive updates as often as every four minutes during peak traffic hours; that is the advertised maximum frequency, not a guarantee that every update arrived on that schedule.
Metro’s May 12, 2005 archive independently records that the agency entered a demonstration agreement with TrafficGauge in September 2004 to provide real-time freeway congestion information for distribution to device owners. Metro archive, May 12, 2005
Rank #2
- 6” high-resolution navigator includes map updates of North America
- Hands-free calling when paired with your compatible smartphone with BLUETOOTH technology and convenient Garmin voice assist lets you ask for directions to places you want to go
- Road trip–ready features include the HISTORY database of notable sites, a U.S. national parks directory, Tripadvisor traveler ratings and millions of Foursquare POIs
- Driver alerts for things such as school zones, sharp curves and speed changes help encourage safer driving and increase situational awareness
- Access live traffic, fuel prices, parking, weather and smart notifications when you pair this navigator with your compatible smartphone running the Garmin Drive app
What did it cost at launch?
These were prices and terms advertised in September 2004, not current offers:
| Launch-era item | Advertised terms |
|---|---|
| Device | $79.95, including one month of traffic service |
| Additional service | $6.99 per month |
| Six-month service package | $36.99 |
| Two-year service package | $129.99 |
| Other stated terms | No activation fee, no required contract, a 30-day money-back guarantee and a one-year warranty |
The announcement also quoted Frances Banerjee, then a former General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and a TrafficGauge Advisory Board member, calling it “the ultimate ‘just-in-time’ technology” for the average Los Angeles freeway traveler. This, too, was promotional launch commentary rather than an independent evaluation. TrafficGauge’s launch announcement and advertised terms
Rank #3
- 7” high-resolution navigator includes map updates of North America .Special Feature:Easy-To-Read Display; Voice Assist; Hands-Free Calling; Live Traffic and Weather; Traffic Cams and Parking; Smart Notifications,Driver Alerts; Tripadvisor; National Parks Directory; Find Places by Name; Garmin Real Directions Feature.
- Hands-free calling when paired with your compatible smartphone with BLUETOOTH technology and convenient Garmin voice assist lets you ask for directions to places you want to go
- Road trip–ready features include the HISTORY database of notable sites, a U.S. national parks directory, Tripadvisor traveler ratings and millions of Foursquare POIs
- Driver alerts for things such as school zones, sharp curves and speed changes help encourage safer driving and increase situational awareness
- Access live traffic, fuel prices, parking, weather and smart notifications when you pair this navigator with your compatible smartphone running the Garmin Drive app
Can you still buy or use TrafficGauge?
Available sources do not establish whether TrafficGauge still operates, whether new devices or compatible parts are sold, or whether legacy units can still receive traffic data. A 2010 Los Angeles Times report described the company offering handheld devices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Chicago and covered a customer’s dispute over a fee to continue service under a claimed lifetime arrangement. That article documents a historical customer-service dispute; it does not establish the outcome for every subscriber or the company’s status today. Los Angeles Times, July 23, 2010
Where can Los Angeles-area drivers check traffic now?
For current information, official regional and state services offer map-based options. SoCal 511 says its service includes traffic speeds, closures, incidents, SigAlerts, poor road conditions and camera views across its regional service. SoCal 511 FAQ
Caltrans QuickMap says most of its traffic layers refresh every minute, while some refresh every five or ten minutes; its iOS and Android apps refresh when the user requests a refresh. Those intervals differ from TrafficGauge’s launch-era claim of updates as often as every four minutes during peak hours, and the services are not established as direct successors or affiliates. Caltrans QuickMap FAQ
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