Any app that does this?

[+JSWilson64]

Here's my idea:

Take the GPSr (60CSx) on the daily commute. Record track logs every day. Different days, different routes, maybe different routes to work and back home.

 

Add track logs to some sort of database.

 

Do some magic hand waving, and it'll tell me the places I'm going the fastest, the intersections it takes me the longest to clear, etc. I have a sneaking suspicion that the way I usually go (the most direct route) isn't usually the fastest route.

 

I figure it's possible to do with track logs, but don't know how much work would be involved, or maybe there's already something out there.

[LinXG]

Well your profile says you live in Dallas and I suspect that Dallas is big enough to employ traffic engineers who might be willing to share some insight into what's involved in your proposed endeavour. It's quite a bit more complicated that you might at first imagine.

 

Give them a call and report the results back here.

[LinXG]

Well your profile says you live in Dallas and I suspect that Dallas is big enough to employ traffic engineers who might be willing to share some insight into what's involved in your proposed endeavour. It's quite a bit more complicated than you might at first imagine.

 

Give them a call and report the results back here.

[+JSWilson64]

Hey, cool, thanks for double-posting your unhelpful suggestion!

[+T F T C]

lol

[+kf4oox]

You know he is probably right in that Dallas does have traffic engineers. They would know of any type of program like you are looking for and may even welcome the help in data gathering.

 

On the other had. I do not know of any type of program like you are looking for. Does not mean their are not out their just that I do not know of them.

 

I do not know what GPSr you have. If you have Garmin you can use Mapsource to get the tracks off of your GPSr and then you can look at them. I do not think you can tell how long each red light took you but you can see how long the total track is.

 

Hope this helps.

 

kf4oox - Paul

[+kf4oox]

Sorry double post. Please disregard.

 

kf4oox - Paul

Edited February 1, 2008 by kf4oox

[LinXG]

Sorry that you took my post the wrong way but when you say things like

 

Add track logs to some sort of database.

 

it implies that you know very little about database design or data modelling.

 

The Do some magic hand waving, and it'll tell me the places ... that you refer to is what traffic

engineers and people in involved in the transportation industry do for a living. Contacting

transportation agencies within the Dallas community may prove helpful in identifying what

resources might be most useful to you.

 

I don't think you're going to stroll into a Software R Us store have have the clerk hand you a copy

of Quixote Ultra Route V2.01.

 

I was trying to be helpful. My apologies for failing in my quest.

[+JSWilson64]

Sorry that you took my post the wrong way but when you say things like

 

Add track logs to some sort of database.

 

it implies that you know very little about database design or data modelling.

 

The Do some magic hand waving, and it'll tell me the places ... that you refer to is what traffic

engineers and people in involved in the transportation industry do for a living. Contacting

transportation agencies within the Dallas community may prove helpful in identifying what

resources might be most useful to you.

 

I don't think you're going to stroll into a Software R Us store have have the clerk hand you a copy

of Quixote Ultra Route V2.01.

 

I was trying to be helpful. My apologies for failing in my quest.

Point taken. The fact that you double-posted implies that you know very little about posting to this forum.

 

So let me make it more clear -- maybe I should have spelled this out in the beginning. Garmin brand GPS receivers record track logs. Each track point includes some data - I'm not sure what data are stored with each track point. If time of day is there, that's moving toward what I want to do. I do know that when I save a track log with a name, some of that information gets lost. But I don't know what gets stripped when saving the track. I'm pretty sure elevation does, not sure of the rest. Rather than spend several hours digging into the track format and how to parse it into something I can work with, I thought I'd ask whether anyone knows of something that already does what I want to do.

 

But, it should be possible to look at a particular track log and compare adjacent points, and get a delta for the time between the points. The equation for speed is change in distance divided by change in time. So, locations that the track shows one isn't going very fast could be flagged and displayed in one color (maybe red) and locations that show one is going more rapidly could be flagged and displayed in another color (green?). Build several sets of these track logs over several trips, and you can begin to objectively visualize your real-world experiences. Sure, I could get info from a traffic engineer, if it's in a format I can work with, and if it's not prohibitively expensive. But I can collect the data myself, with my handy 60CSx, for free.

 

Is that specific enough, or do you need me to define the variables and relationships and normalize the tables for you, too? It's not that I don't know about database design and/or usage, but I figured there were enough people here that don't that I'd put it in terms most folks can understand.

[+EScout]

There is a program made for outdoor users such as hikers, bikers, kayakers, etc., that might have some utility for your purpose. You will have to transfer your tracklog to a file saving the time stamps. Depending on your GPSr, you may have to convert it to .gpx format using GPSBabel (look for the GUI or GPSBabelWrapper. Import the tractlog to SportTracks.

 

It will show your track on a map, letting you choose street, aerial, or topo maps. You can choose among many graphs in another window, such as total time stopped vs moving, Pace over time, Pace over distance and more (pace is your time per mile.) If you click on a point on the graph showing Pace over distance, the corresponding place on the map in the other window will show the location of this point. So, you can choose a graph peak (slow pace), or a graph low point (fast pace) and see where you are moving the fastest and slowest along your route.

 

I use this program several times a week for my outdoor uses. I save the tracklog file in my eXplorist, convert it to GPSBable to .gpx, and import it. Real quick and easy. I have also used my Garmin, but have to use the active log, not a saved one. I use G7ToWin program to import my active log and trim it down to the tract points I want.

Edited February 5, 2008 by EScout

[+JSWilson64]

There is a program made for outdoor users such as hikers, bikers, kayakers, etc., that might have some utility for your purpose. You will have to transfer your tracklog to a file saving the time stamps. Depending on your GPSr, you may have to convert it to .gpx format using GPSBabel (look for the GUI or GPSBabelWrapper. Import the tractlog to SportTracks.

 

It will show your track on a map, letting you choose street, aerial, or topo maps. You can choose among many graphs in another window, such as total time stopped vs moving, Pace over time, Pace over distance and more (pace is your time per mile.) If you click on a point on the graph showing Pace over distance, the corresponding place on the map in the other window will show the location of this point. So, you can choose a graph peak (slow pace), or a graph low point (fast pace) and see where you are moving the fastest and slowest along your route.

 

I use this program several times a week for my outdoor uses. I save the tracklog file in my eXplorist, convert it to GPSBable to .gpx, and import it. Real quick and easy. I have also used my Garmin, but have to use the active log, not a saved one. I use G7ToWin program to import my active log and trim it down to the tract points I want.

Hey, cool, I'll check it out. Sounds like it's got some of the things I want. Thanks!

[+Miragee]

This is off the subject, but the other night our local news had a segment about the fact that UPS saves lots of time, and gas, by never making left turns. The demonstration between the newsman and another station employee who took off at the same time to run six "errands" showed the newsman, who only made right turns, got back five minutes faster than the other guy who went the more "direct" route, which included idling and waiting to make several left turns.

 

Just something to think about . . .

[Wintertime]

This is off the subject, but the other night our local news had a segment about the fact that UPS saves lots of time, and gas, by never making left turns.

So if, for example, the truck is going west on Main St. and needs to go south on First St., instead of making a left turn onto First, the driver would go across Main, turn right on Second, turn right on Elm, then turn right on First, then wait for the light to get across Main? And all of that would happen before the folks sitting at the stoplight on Main get the green light to turn left onto First? That seems odd.

 

I also think it would only work in areas that have short blocks. The UPS facility nearest me is not far from a controlled-access highway, so if they tried that, they would have to take the frontage road down to the next overpass and would end up about half a mile on the other side of the highway before they could come back and head southbound on the street they wanted to go on in the first place.

 

It's an interesting concept. I just don't see how it would work out that well in real life.

 

Patty

[+T F T C]

Apparently it IS being used in real life. Hence the news segment.

[Wintertime]

Apparently it IS being used in real life. Hence the news segment.

Yes, I got that. I'm just wondering why it works in real life. E.g., where the news segment was filmed.

 

Patty

[andylphoto]

This is off the subject, but the other night our local news had a segment about the fact that UPS saves lots of time, and gas, by never making left turns.

So if, for example, the truck is going west on Main St. and needs to go south on First St., instead of making a left turn onto First, the driver would go across Main, turn right on Second, turn right on Elm, then turn right on First, then wait for the light to get across Main? And all of that would happen before the folks sitting at the stoplight on Main get the green light to turn left onto First? That seems odd.

 

Patty

 

Let me first say that I did NOT see this news piece, so I don't know the specifics. My first guess is that it's not actually "never." I can tell you that in my own experience, I have seen UPS trucks making left turns. However, I do understand the concept, and myself pre-plan routes to minimize left turns, especially on restricted access/divided highways. Just makes sense to me.

 

I think the idea makes a whole lot more sense when thought of in the context of planning a route with a lot of stops (what UPS does all the time) rather than in the context of making a single left turn to go south on First Street. For this case in point, it would likely make sense to turn right on Second, make deliveries, then right on Elm and make the deliveries there, (or on Birch or Oak or Maple--wherever the "right turn" deliveries are) then make the right turn to go south on First.

 

There will always be exceptions to the rule, but in general, right turns are a whole lot easier than left. Especially in areas where there are not left turn arrows, and that allow right turns on red. When planning a route with many stops, planning for more right turns makes a lot of sense.

[andylphoto]

Guess I should have Googled first.

 

As I suggested, it's "avoid left turns when possible." UPS drivers are "discouraged" from making left turns. They have software that plans routes to minimize left turns.

 

Here are a few stories from various places...

 

UPS Drivers Discouraged from Making Left Turns

Fuel Conservation No Idle Matter at UPS

Here is a four-minute audio story from NPR.

 

Google UPS LEFT TURNS and you'll get pages of stories, tips and information.

Edited February 7, 2008 by andylphoto

[+JSWilson64]

... However, I do understand the concept, and myself pre-plan routes to minimize left turns, especially on restricted access/divided highways. Just makes sense to me.

...

 

Better watch that "pre-planning" !!!

[Wintertime]

I think the idea makes a whole lot more sense when thought of in the context of planning a route with a lot of stops (what UPS does all the time) rather than in the context of making a single left turn to go south on First Street. For this case in point, it would likely make sense to turn right on Second, make deliveries, then right on Elm and make the deliveries there, (or on Birch or Oak or Maple--wherever the "right turn" deliveries are) then make the right turn to go south on First.

That's a good point. I was thinking in terms of them simply wanting to get from Main to First, not making deliveries on other streets along the way.

 

There will always be exceptions to the rule, but in general, right turns are a whole lot easier than left. Especially in areas where there are not left turn arrows, and that allow right turns on red.

I had that same thought about turn signals. Here in California, our left-turn signals often go *before* the straight-through green light, or at least at the same time. Hence there would be no advantage in avoiding the left-turn signal. But in areas where that isn't the case, or, as you say, where there is no left-turn signal and the truck has to wait for traffic to clear to make a turn, it could indeed be advantageous to go straight through the intersection.

 

Sorry for going off on a tangent here, but it was an interesting concept, and I wanted to understand better how it worked.

 

Patty