Diff Between Shortest & Fastest Route In Cs?

[Erskine]

Has anyone figured out any true logic difference between the options of "shortest" and "fastest" route when using City Select software in either the Garmin 60C or CS?

 

Before someone answers "one is shorter, and one is faster"; in real world knowledge of my area, that simple logic doesn't seem supported.

 

I have a 60CS, and am using City Select V5. I would have thought the the 'fastest" choice may favor highways and interstates. But that's not true either!

 

Just curious if anyone's figured this out.

[+geckoee]

Generally for shortest, it's just the shortest (duh)

For fastest, each road type is given an average speed of travel in the software (65 for interstate, 60 for limited access, 50 for other highways, 35 for arterial roads, and 20 for streets in MS-S&T) The time of the trip via different possible solutions is compared. The fastest possible trip is returned. I can't think of any other way to do it, so I would bet the CS does this as well. Can you change the average speeds for CS? In MS-S&T I changed the speeds a little to make it more realistic. With stop signs and lights most non-highways are actually pretty slow, and I think I average closer to 70 on the highway.

 

[MS-S&T does have a third method, called Preferred Roads. It's basically the same as quickest, but instead of average speeds you have weightings. It’s really the same thing with different numbers.]

[+mochalatte]

I was testing out the shortest route to our house from the other side of down last night and it took us through a pretty seedy part of town. My wife decided that the third option needs to be "safest route." Actually, if it weren't so politically incorrect, I bet Garmin could do that. Wait a second--now I see what the preferred route option is for in MS-S&T.

 

I too have noticed that fastest route is often not the fastest in our area, but only by a small margin. In my case, however, it is because it favors primary roads too much over the secondary roads.

Edited March 23, 2004 by mochalatte

[thcri]

I've learned not to use City Select for auto-routing. I have found that it does take you on some goofy routes. I have my regions or maps uploader to my GPS and I allow my GPS to do the thinking. Does a much better job.

 

murph