07-01-2007, 08:24 AM
Real Time Traffic Information (RTTI) is available in MY 2007 6ers manufactured before March 1 without HD Radio and after March 1 for all 6ers. (Something about stuffing an extra antenna in the bustle.)
It is interesting but in L.A. isn't terribly accurate or useable. It's not accurate because traffic patterns change much more quickly than are reported. It's not very useable because it suggests alternate routes (and pesters you to accept them) which are usually less attractive than the main route you are on. And, surface streets, the primary alternative routes suggested, aren't covered on our traffic net.
My other big gripe about RTTI is that if you go to the selection to ask about traffic conditions generally (the little red triangle at the bottom of the left hand column when a map is up), you are sent to the middle of a list of traffic issues in Southern California, rather than being sent to the ones closest to you. Each traffic issue lists its distance from you, so it could be done that way. But, with sometimes 100 or more traffic issues in Southern California, it takes quite a while to scroll through the issues 150 miles away to get to the local ones. And the iDrive button is furiously giving you that very annoying pulseback (which I understand is being replaced by a "click" in MY 2008).
It would sure be nice if RTTI is improved with the newest PROGMAN in much the same way the search function has been changed for INFORMATION allowing alphbeastical searches.
It is interesting but in L.A. isn't terribly accurate or useable. It's not accurate because traffic patterns change much more quickly than are reported. It's not very useable because it suggests alternate routes (and pesters you to accept them) which are usually less attractive than the main route you are on. And, surface streets, the primary alternative routes suggested, aren't covered on our traffic net.
My other big gripe about RTTI is that if you go to the selection to ask about traffic conditions generally (the little red triangle at the bottom of the left hand column when a map is up), you are sent to the middle of a list of traffic issues in Southern California, rather than being sent to the ones closest to you. Each traffic issue lists its distance from you, so it could be done that way. But, with sometimes 100 or more traffic issues in Southern California, it takes quite a while to scroll through the issues 150 miles away to get to the local ones. And the iDrive button is furiously giving you that very annoying pulseback (which I understand is being replaced by a "click" in MY 2008).
It would sure be nice if RTTI is improved with the newest PROGMAN in much the same way the search function has been changed for INFORMATION allowing alphbeastical searches.