DENVER -- In the city, the suburbs and the mountains -- traffic is now a big part of Colorado’S landscape. That’s why Denver7 put some of the most popular traffic apps to the test: Waze, Google and Apple.
As the sun was rising, Uber driver Jaime Morrison and Denver7 producer Deb Stanley headed from Interstate 25 in Thornton toward the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.
Deb used Waze, Jaime used Apple Maps. In the end, both used I-270 to go to I-70 to I-225 to Colfax.
Originally, Jaime was supposed to be on I-25 the entire time but got rerouted to the same path as Deb.
About 31 minutes later, on the same route, Deb arrived first. Waze was the winner arriving about 3 minutes before Jaime.
For the afternoon rush, Denver7 put the morning winner, Waze, in a battle with the Google app, again testing who arrives first.
Will the fact that Google owns Waze affect the outcome?
We began at the Target at I-25 and Arapahoe in Englewood, heading south to downtown Denver.
Denver7 reporter Marc Stewart tested Google, recent Denver transplant Andrew Nielsen used Waze.
Waze came once again came out on top. It took Nielsen off of I-25 at Alameda, taking side streets to get downtown.
“That just zigged us right up here about five minutes before you," said Nielsen.
At the end of the day, those on the front lines say traffic apps are merely tools.
"There's no one magic perfect way to get through the traffic, except maybe flying cars and I don't think we're going to see those anytime soon," said Denver7 traffic anchor Jayson Luber.
Until that happens - start your journey early, so you can relax and not rush.