WCBC

December 11th, 2019 by WCBC Radio

Marylanders now have another way to navigate traffic incidents and congestion thanks to a new partnership between the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) and Waze. Under this partnership with Waze’s Connected Citizens Program (CCP), MDOT SHA can now more effectively share road closure incidents immediately with users.

“Sharing information in real time with motorists is one of the best ways we can improve customer service and safety,” said MDOT SHA Administrator Greg Slater. “This partnership allows us to share road closure and detour information on the Waze platform instantly, arming our customers with the information they need when planning a trip on our roadways.” 

The new Waze partnership creates the following capabilities:

● Identifiable authoritative MDOT SHA incident notifications

● Direct in app messaging to drivers to address any type of situation, including anticipated traffic congestion and detours, potential congestion expected due to upcoming project work, and even public meetings about future projects.

● Push notifications with information about a user’s favorite routes.

MDOT SHA is now among the more than 70 North American Waze partners to join CCP since 2016.  For additional roadway incident event information, MDOT SHA’s Coordinated Highway Action Response Team (CHART) provides crash, lane closure and closed circuit cameras, accessible via md511.maryland.gov. Waze is a navigation app that uses publicly available traffic information to recommend best routes to its users. MDOT SHA urges motorists to never text while driving and only use devices hands-free.