Bing Maps Update Adds Traffic Camera Video Feeds

Microsoft has updated Bing Maps with a new traffic camera option that allows users to view video feeds from one of thousands of traffic cameras located around the globe. The idea is that seeing the actual current conditions beats out any weather and traffic report, and also gives travelers a bit of an idea of what to expect in a region. The feature allows multiple camera feeds to be monitored at once, as well.

The update adds more than 35,000 traffic camera video feeds from 11 countries. The feature can be found under the "Traffic" layer on Bing Maps, with the cameras being shown as small camcorder icons on mapped roadways. Clicking one of the cameras pulls up the video feed in a window over the map.

If you've checked out more than one camera recently, you can view several of them all at once by clicking "return to summary." The cameras are listed under "Recently viewed cameras" alongside a traffic legend providing a visual snapshot of traffic conditions.

If you're not invested in watching camera feeds, there's an option to toggle the feature off, as well, which will hide the camera icons on the maps. We played with the feature briefly, and it seems to work well, though the video feeds will only be as good as the cameras and streaming setup can facilitate, of course.

SOURCE: Bing Blogs