by Shantanu Ghosh
<aside> In this study I am proposing a new Google Maps feature that lets users set a travel-time threshold for a specific commute (e.g. “Home to Office < 35 min”). When real-time traffic predicts the trip will take less time than the threshold, Maps pushes a notification (e.g. “Good news: your drive is only 30 minutes long now!”). This alert turns traffic updates into an opportunity – helping commuters save time and stress by seizing unusually clear roads.
</aside>
<aside> Unpredictable, lengthy commutes - During rush hours, travel times can stretch up to 60% longer than expected, leading to stress, missed meetings and extra fuel expenses. For many people, commuting ends up consuming almost an entire day each month, a time that could have been spent more productively.
Existing Google Maps features - Google Maps already provides a dedicated “Commute” tab with live traffic and transit information personalized to our routine. It alerts us about delays, suggests alternate routes and even integrates with music apps to make long traffic jams slightly easier. On Android, it can also notify you in advance about accidents or heavy traffic along your regular route.
The gap: no ‘green-light’ alert. Most of these features are designed around bad conditions. There’s no simple way for a commuter to know when the road is unusually clear or when the drive is much faster than normal.
For people with flexible or shifting schedules (Me for example), this is a real gap. They are left manually checking Maps multiple times a day, or simply guessing the right time to leave and often miss the chance to take advantage of unexpectedly light traffic.
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| Title | Travel-Time Threshold Alerts in Google Maps |
|---|---|
| My role | Product Manager |
| Project Type | Product Concept / Case Study |
| Tools Used | Figma, Miro, Notion, Google Docs/Sheets |
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Many commuters in Indian cities end up frustrated because Google Maps does not proactively guide them on the best time to leave. For example, someone in Bengaluru might habitually start for work at 8:30 AM, not realizing that on certain days traffic is unusually light at 8:00 AM. By the time they check Maps, that window has already passed. The result: wasted free time or reaching later than necessary. In short, there’s no simple way to take advantage of a short commute window when it appears.
Missed opportunities - At present, people have to keep opening Maps repeatedly to see how traffic is moving. Most play safe and stick to routine departure times, often missing the chance to save 15–20 minutes (or more) on days when traffic is unexpectedly smooth.
Feature expectations - From an commuter’s perspective, it’s natural to expect Maps itself to deliver this intelligence. People rely on Maps daily in cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, and they want commute alerts to be an integrated part of that experience.
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To validate the need for proactive commute alerts, I conducted a short survey with daily commuters who regularly use (or have used) Google Maps and similar navigation apps. The objective was to understand current pain points, expectations, and desired features around commute planning.
The survey included both closed and open-ended questions:
This combination of quantitative and qualitative questions helped uncover not just how commuters currently behave, but also what they expect from Maps going forward.