Vancouver604 › App
The app
Vancouver traffic, read out loud, in your car
Vancouver604 is a free, spoken, real-time traffic report for Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and the Sea-to-Sky, refreshed every 15 minutes from driver reports and public road feeds, produced in Vancouver by Temper Tantrum Studios Inc.
What it is
A radio station without the radio. Press play and a voice tells you what is happening on your roads right now, in the names locals use: the Ironworkers, the Cut, the Massey, the Port Mann. It is assembled fresh every fifteen minutes from what drivers have reported in the last hour together with public road feeds, and when the roads are clear it says so rather than filling the time.
In the car
The app supports CarPlay, background audio and the lock screen controls, so it starts when the car does and keeps playing with the screen off. Your own zone plays first, then the rest of the region in order, so the part you need arrives before the part you do not.
Reporting
Hold the button and say what you see, or report in two taps. Reports are placed on the road they describe, weighed by how reliable that reporter has been and checked against public feeds before they air. Never use your phone while driving: hold-to-talk is designed for a mounted phone or a stop.
Getting it
The iOS app is in beta through TestFlight. Ask for an invite from the home page and the link arrives by email. Android and Android Auto are next; the website carries the same report on any phone in the meantime.
Questions
- What does the app do?
- It reads the traffic aloud. Press play and a spoken cycle tells you what is happening across Metro Vancouver, zone by zone, refreshed every fifteen minutes. Your own zone plays first. You can also report what you see, by holding a button and speaking or in two taps.
- Does it work with CarPlay?
- Yes. The app supports CarPlay, background audio and the lock screen controls, so it behaves like a radio station rather than a podcast. Never use your phone while driving; hold-to-talk is for a mounted phone or a stop.
- Is there an Android version?
- Not yet. The iOS app is in beta first because it is where CarPlay is, and Android with Android Auto is next. The website works on any phone in the meantime and carries the same report.
- What does it cost?
- Nothing. The app and the website are free and will stay free. The station is paid for by short spoken messages from local businesses, read in the same voice as the rest of the broadcast.
- How do I join the beta?
- Ask for an invite from the home page and you will get a TestFlight link. Drivers who join now are the Founding Road Crew: named on the site, thanked on air and first to every feature after.