One 130 - Problem

[lancer525]

Well, not necessarily a problem, but something I have no clue how to rectify...

I've driven a particular route dozens of times, and I just set it up in Route Planner on HOME. It absolutely is NOT taking me on either the shortest or the fastest route! I've driven several different possibilities before, and both the unit and the computer select the longest, slowest, most time consuming route.

How do I force the unit or Route Planner to alter the route?

 

[mvl]

In the tomtom 330, click the satellite bars, then click "find alternative", then "travel via". You can choose one waypoint along the way that forces the route to pass by. It may do your preferred route if you choose a good spot. Higher end tomtom's alllow multiple waypoints but the 330 only allows one.

I'm surprised that route planner can't find the fastest route, as it has the IQroutes engine that usually is near perfect. Other than map errors (eg incorrect road/turn restrictions), or u-turns that tomtom avoids at all costs, the IQroutes engine usually does a good job.

What is the route you're trying? I can see if either of these issues is causing the misrouting.

 

[lancer525]

In the tomtom 330, click the satellite bars, then click "find alternative", then "travel via". You can choose one waypoint along the way that forces the route to pass by. It may do your preferred route if you choose a good spot. Higher end tomtom's alllow multiple waypoints but the 330 only allows one.

I'm surprised that route planner can't find the fastest route, as it has the IQroutes engine that usually is near perfect. Other than map errors (eg incorrect road/turn restrictions), or u-turns that tomtom avoids at all costs, the IQroutes engine usually does a good job.

What is the route you're trying? I can see if either of these issues is causing the misrouting.

I don't have a 330.

I have a 130.

The route is from Newberry, SC to the 2000 block of Walton Way.

It keeps sending me out on I-20, then down Washington Road, and then up Milledge Road to Walton Way. It is much faster at any time of the day to continue on US 25 through North Augusta, cross the 13th Street Bridge to Broad Street, and then across 15th Street to Walton Way.

 

[dhn]

Under planning preferences, do you have any restrictions such that the routing algorithm can't select a highway route?

 

[mvl]

I was playing around with your route.

Since you have a 130 model, you don't have IQroutes. Without IQroutes, tomtom routes via road class. It probably sees the Milledge Rd approach as the closest you can get while on a highway-class road, and the shortest amount of travel on a sidestreet-class road.

IQroutes uses actual historical road speeds provided by tomtom users who enabled the "Submit anonymous data option", and does a much better job in my experience.

I ran the same route in IQroutes, and it actually prefers one you didn't mention:
It stays on I-20 for one more exit, getting off on Riverwatch Pkwy/104. It then goes to 15th st and onto Walton Way.

Tomtom says this approach is 3 minutes faster than your US 25 route. You may want to try it out and see what you think.

 

[lancer525]

I was playing around with your route.

I ran the same route in IQroutes, and it actually prefers one you didn't mention:
It stays on I-20 for one more exit, getting off on Riverwatch Pkwy/104. It then goes to 15th st and onto Walton Way.

Tomtom says this approach is 3 minutes faster than your US 25 route. You may want to try it out and see what you think.

In this case, TomTom is wrong. Riverwatch Parkway is never faster. The fastest route, the shortest route, and the easiest route to drive is through North Augusta on 25, and across the 13th St. Bridge. It is shorter and faster to go up Broad to 15th and cross, than it is to go straight 13th to Walton Way, because you avoid all the Hospital traffic.

What I wanted to know is, how do I stop this thing from picking "fastest route" by default, and making it pick "shorter route" instead?

 

[dhn]

Planning preferences-->Always plan shortest route.

Another suggestion: Planning Preferences-->Always ask me.

 

[mvl]

I only tried for a Saturday afternoon. It's possible that IQroutes may skip Riverwatch during rush hour.

In any case, if there are areas of huge congestion that you want the tomtom to always avoid, another option is to erase/block the roads in mapshare. Just don't share it with others.

 

[lancer525]

I knew there was something I was missing. The manual doesn't really explain well what most of the functionality is. I am glad there's a "always pick shortest route" function.

Thanks guys, I'll give it a go and see what it comes up with!

Much appreciated