5 apps for a faster commute

Commuting is a huge drag no matter where you work or what your circumstances are.  However, you can put technology to work to ease the burden it puts on your day by using your smartphone on the way.  Here are the five must-have apps for a faster commute.

Waze: Free

Waze is a great little app if you want to know about all accidents and roadblocks on your route in real-time.  Waze relies on user generated comments and feedback to provide information about tolls, red light cameras, traffic blocks and accidents on your route.  With this information, you’ll be able to visually see where the problems are and skip them on your way home.  Waze also updates several times per day with the cheapest gas near you so you can fill up on your way home.

Bike Maps: $0.99

If you ride a bicycle to work, Bike Maps is an essential app for you to have.  Bike Maps will let you know what roads are paved, locations of different bike paths, and how busy a particular road is at a given time.  Bike Maps will deliver all of this information to your phone based on the current location you’re in.  You can plug in your destination from wherever you are, and Bike Maps will generate a quick and safe route for you to use on your ride.  One of the best features about Bike Maps is the fact that you can download pre-made maps to your phone so that you can quickly access them if you don’t have Wi-Fi or data in a particular area.

iNextBus: Free

One of the biggest annoyances about public transportation is that you must rely on it to be prompt so that you can catch your next connection.  iNextBus takes the frustration out of transportation by providing users with real-time maps and locations of each bus on their route as well as updated arrival times if they are running late.  You can’t stop your bus from being late, but if you know that it’s going to mess up your connection, you can start looking for a new way to get to work sooner rather than later.

HopStop:  Free

If you’ve ever missed a connection on public transportation, HopStop is a great way to get you back on track.  This app is very simple and will provide you with subway/train/bus information, transit directions, biking and walking directions, estimated travel time, and cost.  It also provides you with updated traffic delay information.  The great thing about this app is that it works in over six hundred different countries worldwide, so you can put it to good use when you’re on a business trip as well.

Beat The Traffic: Free

Beat the Traffic is a must-have if your daily commute includes driving.  You’ll be provided with traffic information in real-time and will be able to see average speeds along your route.  You can program the app to alert you if there are any accidents or roadblocks on your route before you leave the house so you can plan to take a different route.