Waze ready to help LA drivers during Century Crunch weekend of July 25-28

On the weekend of July 25-28 a portion of Century Boulevard by Aviation, one of LA's main arteries leading to its airport LAX, will be closed for 57 hours due to construction. In preparation for the weekend, LA mayor Eric Garcetti has already released a public service announcement urging LA drivers to plan ahead. As if Los Angeles traffic wasn't already bad enough! But fear not LA, Waze is on the case. For the duration of the event, Waze's maps have been updated to route drivers around the closures, giving them the fastest possible route to their destination. Wazers in LA can also check in with our traffic center to see live reports and planned closures for LA this weekend. By planning ahead and using Waze, we're confident that LA drivers will be able to outsmart the Century Crunch this weekend just like Carmageddon in the past!

Pride Events Galore: Waze's Maps Are Updated to Reflect Road Closures

With summer finally here, cities all over the world are set to open up their streets to festivals, parades and events of all kinds. While these ephemeral events are often loads of fun for those attending, the road closures they cause tend to be a traffic nightmare for drivers simply trying to get from point A to point B.

June is 'LGBT Pride month' worldwide and this weekend marks 8 (!) different Pride events in cities all over the world. With celebrations scheduled for San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Houston, Seattle, London, Paris and Toronto, millions of people are expected to take the streets and millions of drivers are sure to be affected.

Thankfully, our fantastic community in each of these cities has edited Waze's dynamic maps to reflect the temporary road closures that will be taking place due to the festivities. This means drivers will be able to get optimal routes to their destination without having to worry about being routed through a main street that is temporarily closed off.

Whether you're celebrating this weekend or just trying to drive through town, we hope these map updates by our community will help make the experience a tad bit smoother. And if you're aware of any big events that might cause traffic problems in your town, please let us know about them here. We're always looking to lend a helping hand.

Unprecedented Floods Hit Bosnia and Serbia. Community Rallies to Help

This past weekend unprecedented rains across the Balkans caused historic flooding in Bosnia Herzegovina and Serbia. The flooding has been described as the worst floods to hit the area in more than a century and has already caused tens of thousands of people to be evacuated. Landslides and the possibility of buried landmines has made relief efforts even more difficult.

In an effort to assist in any way possible, our Serbian community mobilized and created a list of emergency evacuation points as well as a list of roads no longer accessible due to flooding.

Using these lists, we have added emergency pins to our maps, each containing an evacuation point's distance, address and phone number.

Anyone using Waze in Serbia can locate their closest point of rescue by typing "help" in the navigation box.

We've also closed off all roads that are no longer accessible due to the Serbian floods which can be seen on our events page.

We hope these efforts will be successful in providing some form of assistance to relief workers and those affected by the floods.

If there are any other ways we can help, please let us know in the comments below.

UPDATE: If you'd like to personally donate relief, you can do so here

Driver in Atlanta Saves Himself from 16 Hours of Traffic by Using Waze

Two drivers left work at the same time. One got home at 7pm while the other didn't get home until 11 am the next day. How did this happen?

On January 29th a Wazer in the ATL area left this message on the Facebook wall of FOX5 ATL 

Winter Storm Leon caught many drivers in the US off guard. Thankfully the Waze community was there to close roads and help each other out on the road. 

And in the end, the first driver who used Waze got home 16 hrs(!) earlier than the second driver who wasn't using Waze. That is just crazy. 

We often see #WazeWins where drivers save time on their commutes but this has to be some kind of a record. Thanks to our great community in Atlanta for helping make the best of a snowy situation. 

Waze to Help Drivers Worldwide Bypass New Years Eve Traffic

New Year's Eve is here again. Whether you love it, or think it's the most overrated day of the year, one thing can't be disputed: The jovial celebrations that take place worldwide (and the mess they create on the streets).

Most are probably familiar with the extravagant celebrations in New York City at Times Square, however this is just one of many ways to ring in the new year. Boston for example, hosts First night Boston, a day long arts festival with exhibits, music and dance performances. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazilians flock to Copacabana for Revelion – a mega New Year’s Eve beach bash. And in Japan, millions visit temples and shrines for Hatsumode – and wish for good luck for the coming year.

  

To help everyone bypass traffic during NYE celebrations, Waze community members have updated the map with scheduled road closures, so anyone using Waze will automatically get the best route. Note that this information is updated by the community based on available public information which may change and therefore may not always be 100% accurate.

No matter where you will be celebrating this year, we'd like to wish you, our fantastic community members a happy 2014. And if you do plan on driving tonight, be sure to drive safe. Happy New Year's Wazers!

Waze Updates Johannesburg Road Closures in Wake of Mandela's Funeral & Memorial

Following the passing of former president Nelson Mandela, the streets of South Africa are flooding with mourners. World leaders are making their way to and from Johannesburg this week to attend Mandela's memorial service (which was held on December 10) and his upcoming funeral on December 15.  Our condolences go out to the people of South Africa during these times of sadness. Waze's maps have been updated by the South African community to show expected road closures and will continue to be updated by the community to reflect real-time traffic conditions.   

Waze Ready to Help Drivers Get Around NYC Marathon

After a one year hurricane-induced hiatus, The New York City Marathon is scheduled to return to the limelight this weekend. Starting at the Verrazano Bridge in Staten Island, this 26.2 mile marathon courses through the five boroughs of New York City and is expected to attract about 50,000 runners into the streets. Of course, this means many major streets and bridges will be closed throughout the city, potentially causing big traffic jams and frustration to drivers.    

Luckily, our community of Wazers have updated New York City's maps in preparation for the race this Sunday morning. You can see all the closures and live traffic reports here. So if you live in NYC, be sure to use Waze this weekend so that you can be routed around all closures in the city and get to your destination as quickly as possible!   

Waze to route Philadelphia drivers around major closures

Ah labor day! Is there any better way to close out the summer than a long weekend full of gatherings and events?

One of the bigger labor day events this year is the Budweiser Made in America Festival taking in place in Philadelphia. This exciting event brings thousands of festival-goers to the streets of Philly, blocking up a huge part of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and other surrounding streets. You don’t have to be a local to know that this means big traffic jams and major slow downs for drivers in the city.

The good news is that Waze is on the case! Thanks to our devoted community, Waze’s maps have been updated to route drivers around the closures giving them the fastest possible route to their destinations. Wazers in Philadelphia can also check in with our traffic center for real-time updates on all traffic in the city.

If you’re travelling elsewhere this labor day, we’d like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy holiday and a safe trip.

And of course, if you know of any other events that are sure to affect traffic in your city, let us know here. We may be able to help!

Bay-Bridge Mania at Waze HQ!

San Franciscans are anxiously preparing for the closure of the Bay Bridge, happening just in time for Labor Day weekend. Though the talk of the town is that the Bay Bridge Closure will cause major slowdowns and traffic jams, local Waze users need not worry!  Thanks to our strong Bay Area community, Waze is on board, with updated maps and even a custom website where locals can stay up to date with real-time updates at any given moment. Plus we’ll be embedded in the KGO-TV, ABC 7 to help surface the most important community reports.

And what’s best of all is when we’re back to work on Tuesday, it will be with the long awaited brand new side-by-side decks filling our commutes with sweeping vistas and a new bike and pedestrian path. The weekend distress will be well worth the investment as we better tackle every day traffic.

This summer, we’ve been busy working closely with communities around the globe to update our maps for all kinds of major road closures from festivals, to sporting events to construction.  Starting the summer off right, we updated the maps for all 3 weeks of the Tour de France, with road closures spanning the entire country. We also updated the maps in Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day with a visit from Pope Francis and this past weekend headed down south to Mexico City for the annual Marathon.

Thank you Wazers!

Dance Fans Flock to Zurich – Waze Hits the Road

In recent months Waze has partnered with local map editors, communities and even government traffic organizations to help citizens avoid congestion due to major planned events. (A quick recap of the past few months: in France we helped Wazers avoid massive traffic due to the Tour de France, then we hit Brazil and updated drivers about significant road closures due to World Youth Day.)

Switzerland, here we come!

Beginning August 10, Waze is on deck to help Swiss drivers navigate around the Zurich Street Parade, an enormous festival that draws dance music enthusiasts from every continent. While there’s no better feeling than dancing in the streets, if last year is any indication, these street beats also bring huge traffic jams.

Thanks to our thriving local community, led by Swiss Waze user Arguscronos, citizens can visit http://events.waze.com/de/street-parade (or for English,http://events.waze.com/street-parade) to see a map of Zurich’s most significant road closures for the week. Drivers, don’t forget to stick to the Waze app for all traffic conditions and updates in real time.

Have you heard of any other big summer events that are sure to affect traffic in your city? Let us know here and we may be able to help!

Waze and City of Rio de Janeiro Partner to Help Local Drivers During World Youth Day & Future Events

In a nice example of mobile technology enabling efficiency, Waze has partnered with the Operations Center of the City of Rio de Janeiro (COR) to keep drivers moving and to alert citizens to major road closures during significant events like World Youth Day, happening next week.

The COR employs 56 traffic operators who review reports from about 900 cameras and various field teams. We’re working closely together to compile road closures, accident reports and traffic data provided both by COR and the local Waze community. In turn, we’ll be able to deliver the fastest routes as conditions change and keep both drivers and pedestrians out of the nastiest snarls.

Alleviating traffic congestion is an ongoing priority for the City of Rio, as a favorite annual destination for millions of tourists, business operations and major events like the 2014 World Cup. Folks traveling by bike, car or foot can benefit from this relationship – beginning Monday, July 22 through July 28, citizens can visit http://events.waze.com to see a map of Rio’s most significant road closures for the week. (Drivers, don’t forget to stick to the Waze app for all traffic conditions and updates in real time.)

We commend Rio’s forward-thinking government as they leverage mobile technology and the power of the Waze community to reduce congestion. Safe driving, everyone!

How to Beat Epic Traffic Caused by Summer Events

With summer on our doorstep, there are bound to be lots of events happening in cities across the globe. Unfortunately, with these events usually comes epic traffic that tends to affect the whole city. Luckily the Waze community knows a thing or two about fighting epic traffic like the time we fought carmageddon in 2011 (and won). So, to help drivers avoid the traffic jams that these events tend to cause, we're unveiling a new website that is bound to become a driver's survival kit.

Annnnd we're starting off big with the Tour de France.


For the event, we're going to prepare drivers for road closures as well as provide live, real­time information on traffic conditions.

Of course, in the spirit of Waze, crowdsourcing and community, all map updates, road closures, and preparation for the project will be contributed by our amazing French community, lead by Waze Champ Marc Turpin who brought the idea to our attention.

We are very excited about this initiative and are looking forward to rolling it out in other countries soon.

So how about you Wazers out there? Any events near you that will surely cause traffic chaos in your city this summer? Help your fellow Wazers by letting us know here

By the Numbers: Road Trips Up, Road Hazards Decline this MemorialWeekend

In the United States Memorial Day (Monday) and the previous weekend is one of the heaviest days of the year to hit the road. Waze just released our analysis of 2013 Memorial Weekend road conditions and here's what we found:

• Weekend getaways and day trips are tops: Number of cars on road increased 7.5% with a high of 12% on Sunday


• Saturday was made for the long haul: Wazers made their longest drives (by distance) on Saturday, at an average of 15-20% longer in both distance and time spent in car than a non-holiday weekend


• No significant increase in accidents or road hazards reported nationwide, despite the increase in cars on the road


• A special shoutout to the state of Florida, who had the most new Wazers download and drive over the weekend! Thanks for helping everyone get around!!

We also saw the highest number of police on Friday, May 24 than on any day in recent history.... You can find more interesting info in our press release.

Those of you who enjoyed the long weekend - where'd you go and what did you do? Did Waze save the day? We'd love to hear your stories in the comments.

5 Waze to Take the Headache out of the Holidays

Hey Wazers-

You know what time it is...Food, Family, and Friday (black Friday that is). Those are all wonderful reasons to travel home, but also reasons you need to make sure you use the right tool to make sure you get the most out of the holidays! Here's a list of waze we're going to help take the headache out of the holidays:

1. Family road tripping- Leave plenty of extra time for travel, and make sure to use Waze to avoid traffic getting home. Your family will thank you! Let them follow your route and ETA so they don't worry.

2. Hoping to beat the Black Friday retail rush? Use Waze to make sure you don't miss the on local shopping center specials because you got stuck on the freeway. Outsmart other shoppers buy finding alternate routes if they exist.

3. Need that last minute turkey? Make sure to use Waze too check the traffic around your local specialty foods store- nobody likes cold turkey. See how many others have checked-in with Waze Local Search featuring Yelp, FourSquare, Bing and more!

4. Hosting a party? Follow your Facebook friends to know when they'll arrive so you know when to set the table.

5. Save money by making sure to check out Waze retailers. Take it a step further and retailer yourself! Go to http://biz.waze.com to figure out how to offer wazers the best deals on last minute supplies!

Have a good one, on us!

Sincerely, TeamWaze

Live from the Space Shuttle Endeavour

Well, we won't get to be on the shuttle itself, but Waze will be playing a vital role in aiding the traffic-addled citizens of Los Angeles this weekend as the Space Shuttle Endeavour is transported from LAX to Exposition Park.

L.A. residents are bound to expect delays as the space shuttle is transported at 2 miles per hour, causing traffic challenges, road closures and lots of fun for onlookers. With help from the California Science Center, Waze will display the shuttle’s location on its map as it moves, and automatically route drivers away from any traffic.

The Endeavour will be moved today and tomorrow (October 12-13) in a 12-mile two-day journey across the cities of Inglewood and Los Angeles. One of the biggest objects ever transported down city streets, Endeavour is five stories tall (58 feet high at the tip of the tail), has a wingspan of 78 feet and weighs 170,000 pounds.

Do you know anyone in the L.A. area that will be affected by the space shuttle move?

Outsmart Memorial Day Traffic with Waze

Baseball season is in full swing, a super hero movie is just around the corner and school is finally out! It must be Memorial Day Weekend!

Waze routes drivers safely around Boston Marathon road closures

Boston is racing this morning! And no, we're not talking about traffic violations. New England is sending in its best and brightest to run the Boston Marathon -- covering a 40K historic route headed to Beantown.

That's great news for runners -- but with the series of road closures around the greater Boston area to accomodate them, it's potentially pretty bad news for drivers. Fear not, New England! Wherever a carmageddon looms in the shadows, Waze's hardy community of drivers comes through to save the day. Boston's Wazers got onboard and pitched in to update Waze's live map, reflecting road closures and other obstacles unsuspecting drivers may hit today.

Thanks to them, Waze will route drivers in the Boston area this morning safely around the marathon, so they can get where they need to go in a jiffy.

If the marathon interferes with your morning commute through Boston, Waze will send you through the best alternative route until roads are re-opened. Look out for changing traffic conditions, too, as drivers change up their normal driving routine.

Up-to-the-minute maps and routing info, compiled collaboratively from local driving communities -- that's what Waze is all about!

Waze wishes good luck to all of today's runners (and drivers!). May you all reach your finish lines with ease.

Carmageddon is upon us - with Waze leading the way...

Well, we're in the thick of Carmageddon out here in Los Angeles, and so far, it's smooth sailing. People have heeded the city's warnings to stay in their areas this weekend and, surprisingly, most Wazers out there on the road are reporting that the freeways are clearer than they've seen them in over a decade. While the expected chaos might not have fully materialized just yet, the good news is that Carmageddon has been a phenomenal opportunity for Waze and we've gotten some very exciting pick-ups in the press on both the local and national level, as a result.

Locally, our partnership with the Eyewitness News team over at ABC7 has helped spread the word far and wide about what Waze has to offer the LA driving community, and nationally, the stories have been too numerous to count, but you can check out the CNN video above for a taste of the coverage we've been receiving over the past few days.

Naturally, exposure like this leads to a nice bump in new users, and for those of you who've been around for a while, you know what that means - a waaaay better experience out there on the road, since the more people who use Waze, the better it gets. We think over the coming weeks as word continues to spread, US driving communities will notice much more local activity...more Wazers on the map, more road reports, improved routing...In fact, we'd love to hear from you - leave us a comment below if you begin to notice the difference...

Carmageddon is Near - Gear up LA Wazers!

As most Angelenos know already, Carmageddon is almost upon the city of Los Angeles. From July 15-17, the main north/south traffic artery - the 405 - will be closed from the 101 to the 10 freeways, creating one of the biggest traffic disasters in the city's history...hence the name.

But fear not, LA folks, Waze is on the case. And the good news is that in situations like this, Waze is actually at its best!  Since our maps are 100% live, as drivers share real-time traffic information, the whole local driving community benefits. Other apps might not even register the 405 as non-operational, whereas, with Waze, you'll get up-to- the-minute traffic and road closure information, as well as the *best* 405 bypassing routes at any given moment. Plus, the more you drive with Waze open during this time, the more you'll contribute to The Carmageddon Resistance, a grassroots band of LA drivers out there fighting traffic wherever it is found.

Anyone who'd like to participate in the Carmageddon Resistance, can follow it on Twitter - @BeatCarmageddon -  where they'll gain access to round-the-clock communiqués keeping them up to date on:

• Real-time traffic updates


• Travel time for effective alternative routes via the Canyons


• Other up-to-the-moment, relevant LA road info.

We’ve also put together a website where LA drivers can get Carmageddon-resistant routes, that will take the 405 closure into consideration starting July 15. It's a link you'll really want to share with your friends – especially those without smartphones who can't get this information directly from the Waze app…

Contribute to The Carmageddon Resistance!

• Make sure to open Waze whenever you get into the car


• Take an active role and share road reports as you encounter accidents, heavy traffic, speedcams or any kind of hazard along your way – you'll be helping out the wider driving community in LA with this information, not just local Wazers (Extra karma points!)


• Spread the word. "Like" the resistance on Facebook, share www.BeatCarmageddon.com with your friends and for those with smartphones, ask them to download Waze to help strengthen the amount of real-time information coming in from drivers on the road. After all, as always, the more people who use Waze, the better it gets!

We've also partnered up with ABC7 news to help spread the word. Check out the very cute promo, below, alongside other local  news coverage of Waze's role in preventing Carmageddon chaos:

Wazing Thru the Memorial Day Weekend Traffic = More Money in YourPocket & More Time On Your Hands!

Memorial Day is 3 days away, the "unofficial" start of the summer driving season. About 30.9 million people are expected to plan to drive to their destinations over the weekend. As you pack the car today with the kids, friends, pets and coolers make sure you plug in your route and save yourself from traffic congestion along with saving on gas.

A Few Numbers:
-Every gallon of fuel that is burned produces about 20 pounds of CO2
-You use about 0.026 gallons of gasoline for every 10 minutes of idling, which costs about 5 cents
-This adds up to about 9.5 ounces of CO2 for those 10 minutes

That means if we can reduce even just 10% of the gasoline burned, we can help save $104 million dollars and 520 million tones of CO2 this weekend alone!

With that being said, you can drive smarter, safer and allow yourselves more time to spend at your BBQ!
Enjoy the parades, fireworks & lounge chairs. Be safe & Happy Wazing!