NEW ROADS IN 2003

NMatthew · Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:06 am Post subject: NEW ROADS IN 2003

In another thread I expressed an interest in knowing a little more precisely the vintage of map data available in TomTom 3. Dave Burrows replied:

NMatthew · Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:14 am Post subject:

Here are a group of roads in the Leicestershire/Northamptonshire/Bedfordshire area that were opened in the last year or so and are not present in TTN2. The answer to which of these are in TTN3 will give a guide to the true currency of the map data.

M40/A43 junction reworking, opened September 2002.
As you approach the M40 junction heading South on the A43 from Silverstone the access to the M40 Southbound is now via a new roundabout and slip road about 400m-800m North of the existing junction.

A43 Silverstone bypass, opened September 2002.
The A43 no longer runs through the village of Silverstone.

A6 Clapham bypass (just North of Bedford), opened December 2002.
The A6 no longer runs through the village of Clapham.

A6 Great Glen bypass (just South of Leicester), opened February 2003.
The A6 no longer runs through the village of Great Glen, a new road runs West of the village.

A6 Rothwell/Desborough bypass (5 miles West of Kettering), opened August 2003.
Junction 3 of the A14 is now a full access junction (used to be on/off on the Western side only) and a new road runs from this junction North to bypass Rothwell and Desborough, rejoining just North of Desborough.

Neil

NickE · Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2004 10:53 am Post subject:

A6 Rushden bypass - second half of 2003

Darth_Vader · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 25, 2004 Posts: 10

Hi,

I have only had TTN 2 a few weeks and am most disappointed with the state of the maps considering the cost of the software.

True my road is only 2 years old but its not there and then there is the new East bourne marina with hundreds of new homes and dozens of new roads none of which are there so that puts the maps at least 4 years out of date. Similarly the new Polegate bypass is missing which means that you are guided through the heavily congested areas rather than around them.

My first dry test home to my wifes parents house failed and oh yes there is a roundabout missing on the B365 if my memory serves me correctly.

On my second dry test even worse home to my parents house in Birmingham where they have lived for around 30 years - it wasn't there! The official postal address is just not in the TTN 2 maps.

The point is that I bought this Navigation kit for use in the car on business. I often have to visit customer premises and was hoping that this kit would guide me there without recourse to paper maps and notes and the associated dangers on our heavily loaded roads. From just two simple tests I have no confidence in relying on it. However I plan a run down to Cornwall next week (over 300 miles) and this will be its first real live test.

I was going to return it as 'not suitable for the purpose for which it was bought' until I heard about the new upgrade to TTN3. However nothing is guarenteed.

Cheers,

DV

NMatthew · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 8:56 pm Post subject: Attention Dave Burrows

Dave, I know you did not promise anything, but can you please indicate whether you will be able to check TTN3 support for roads posted in this thread after all?

If not, maybe one of the readers that have bought TTN3 might care to step forward and check for us. Pretty please? Us existing customers have to wait until mid-April before we can even order the upgrade and would like to know if it'll be worth it.

Cheers
Neil

Darren · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 9:16 pm Post subject:

Dave's tied up at the moment so is unlikely to be monitoring the forums.

Regardless of whether TTNav3 does or does not have certain roads its map data is at least 12mths newer. Given that the data in other applicatiosn has just the same issue over time scales between data capture and release to software houses then TomTom's generous upgrade offer makes it a no brainer or am I missing something?
_________________
Darren Griffin

NMatthew · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 10:09 pm Post subject:

The map data is not "at least 12 months newer", even according to TomTom. TTN2 is December 2002, TTN3 is October 2003.

Some of us would like to know what it does cover as there were some significant changes to the road network in 2003. There is at least one other application (Alturion) that offers more recent map data (January 2004) and also offers updates to map data between releases of the application. I do not think it unreasonable to wonder what roads are supported in TTN3, and Dave did offer. Others on here seem to think that it is in some sense unreasonable to want to know what we are buying with the new version, and that map accuracy is not all that important. That is a valid view, but not one we all hold.

Personally, I'd like to see map currency part of all reviews posted on PocketGPSWorld so that we can make (even more) informed decisions via what is undoubtedly a great site.

Surely someone out there with TTN3 can spare ten minutes to take a quick peek at the new roads?

Fletch · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 11:07 pm Post subject:

teleatlas data is so out of date, my home road has been here for 15 years and still comes up as an unnamed road and access to it is incorrect.
What’s interesting is that A to Z paper maps have reasonably accurate maps including proposed new roads like the m6 toll (sorry for keep bringing the toll road up) they get there data early on, why can't teleatlas do the same!
fletch

andrewjh009 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 25, 2004 Posts: 7

Well being a newbie i have my ipaq bundle with TT3 on order so maybe it will ship next week :D

I'll try and check for the above roads mentioned.

No doubt these guys will get a review copy before i do though.

Darren · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2004 9:22 am Post subject:

I wouldn't count on it!
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Darren Griffin

SpeedCam · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2004 4:44 pm Post subject:

I accept the M6 toll road is very new, but TomTom need to confirm when they plan to include this data. Its not just the fact the road is new new, but all the local roads have changed or been closed as a result.

I'd be most disappointed if TomTom expected UK customers to wait until Q2 2005 ie TT V4, maybe this is a question that the PocketGPS team can get clarification on.

I'm not prepared to wait 12 months and pay for two upgrades if another product includes the M6 Toll data.

Darren · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2004 4:54 pm Post subject:

We pressed this very point when we spoke with them. The outcome was that it was 'possible' that the M6 Toll Road may be released as an interim map update but more than this they wouldn't commit to.
_________________
Darren Griffin

Dave · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2004 6:56 pm Post subject:

NMatthew, all are there but can't clarify A6 Rothwell/Desborough bypass.

If you mean North/South where the M6 comes southbound to the A14 then leaving the A4 (East to West) to M6 and leaving M6 south to A4 (East) is there.

Effectively (on/off on east side not west). I'm not monitoring the forums as much as I used to due to some personal problems, but I will try and reply when I can.

NMatthew · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2004 7:07 pm Post subject:

The A6 at Rothwell/Desborough in Northamptonshire (postcode NN14 6AD is in Rothwell if that helps) used to run directly through the two towns. There is now a bypass that runs to the west of the towns from the A14 North to a point between Desborough and Market Harborough. Its sourthern end is a junction of the A14 5 miles West of Kettering, which used to be a partial access junction (western side only), but now has eastern access as well. Hope this clarifies. Your efforts at looking these up is much appreciated. The Rothwell bypass is my local one so has special interest to me.

Cheers
Neil

Lennart · Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2004 2:38 pm Post subject:

The only conclusion I can make of the "missing" roads is that TeleAtlas has a deliberate plan:

-They are "forcing" us to buy the updates frequently
- Their profit goes up if they don't include available updates frequently

Why, well the entry road into the area where I live has been there since at least 1995! On the TomTom TeleAtlas maps, this road is non-existing, instead they show a road 100 meters away. A very long time ago, it might have been a road, now, the grass is growing there.

The roads are correct from Maptech and from the Swedish agency creating the maps. So if TeleAtlas was serious in providing up-to-date maps, it shouldn't be a problem

For me it would be OK if TomTom got updated maps once a year from TeleAtlas, as they seem to do, but if TeleAtlas don't do their job?!? Sad

With the current policy from TeleAtlas, missing roads will be an endless debate

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