Method for predicting a travel time for a traffic route

A system for predicting a travel time for a traffic route, the system comprising:

• a data source comprising real-time speed data;
• a traveler data processor that combines the real-time speed data with historical speed data to generate combined traffic speed data for a plurality of road segments during a particular time interval;
• a forecast engine stored in memory and executable to determine a predicted travel time for a plurality of road segments based on a plurality of travel patterns, wherein the plurality of travel patterns include at least:
• the combined traffic speed data for the plurality of road segments during a particular time interval, and
• non-traffic event data that influences traffic speed for at least one of the road segments;
• and
• a publishing engine stored in memory and executable to:
• publish a predicted travel time for the traffic route, wherein the predicted travel time includes a total travel time for each of the plurality of road segments making up the traffic route,
• publish a recommended departure time based on the plurality of travel patterns and predicted travel time, and
• automatically update the publication of the predicted travel time in response to changes in the plurality of travel patterns.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon at least one program, the at least one program being executable by a processor to perform a method for predicting a travel time for a traffic route, the method comprising:

• associating real-time traffic speed data with historical speed data to generate combined traffic speed data for a plurality of road segments during a particular time interval;
• determining a predicted travel time for a plurality of road segments based on a plurality of travel patterns, wherein the plurality of travel patterns include at least:
• the combined traffic speed data for the plurality of road segments during a particular time interval, and
• non-traffic event data that influences traffic speed for at least one of the road segments;
• publishing a predicted travel time for the traffic route, wherein the predicted travel time includes a total travel time for each of the plurality of road segments making up the traffic route;
• publishing a recommended departure time based on the plurality of travel patterns and predicted travel time;
• and
• automatically updating the publication of the predicted travel time in response to changes in the plurality of travel patterns.