MapQuest Blog

The popularity of finding cheap gas on MapQuest Gas Prices continues to grow with the never-ending price increases at the pump. About the only thing you like going up on gas prices is our accuracy! MapQuest updates thousands of gas prices every few hours. Due to the high volume of data flowing in from gas stations across the country, we occasionally have a handful of pricing irregularities slip through our data provider's filter. However, we work very closely with our data providers to try to ensure that MapQuest visitors get current and accurate data. In fact, we update our data seven times a day. Not every station updates their price that frequently so we expire gas prices after 48 hours so that consumers have current information when shopping around for fuel.

We saw in the news the other day that a station in Carlisle, Pennsylvania had a price that was 60 cents lower than normal. Instead of the normal $3.559, the price was reported as $2.959. I'm sure more than a few MapQuest visitors saw that price and thought, "Wow! I am going to go fill up the tank." Was there a sale? Was there a radio or television promotion going on? No, unfortunately a processing error occurred and an errant price slipped through the filter and was displayed on the web.

As some consumers found out after they visited or called the station, the price was not actually 60 cents cheaper. We investigated the pricing issue with our data provider and found out that two transactions that streamed in on April 23rd for this station were misreported. Fortunately, the price corrected itself when the system updated, but for those who saw the lower price it was too late.

So what's next? Our data provider ensures us that they will be updating their filter in the next couple of weeks which will greatly reduce the risk of any erroneous prices being reported. We also need your help. If you see an incorrect gas price on our page, visit our help page and send us a note. Also if there's something on the site that you like or dislike, let us know. We appreciate all the feedback MapQuest Gas Price visitors have given us so far.

Have you ever been heading across town, and wish you had access to those traffic helicopters to see where the jams are? Now you can check the hotspots with a quick glance to your cell phone. MapQuest for Mobile Web, one of the most popular mobile internet sites,¹ now has Traffic Reports to go along with a new look and feel. We've also simplified the address and search fields to make it easier to enter your quest. And for those of you that take the 'greener' path, our Find Gas Prices feature now has a full slate of Alternative fuels including E-85, Natural Gas and Biodiesel.

MapQuest for Mobile Web



Traffic


Gas Prices


Best of all - even with all these helpful, comprehensive features; MapQuest for Mobile Web is still a free service.² To check it out on your device, you can either type in www.mapquest.com on your mobile web browser, or you can plan on MapQuest.com from your home computer and click on "Send to Cell" within any of your search results.³

1. m:metrics December 2007

2. MapQuest provides the MapQuest for Mobile Web service free of charge; however, your wireless phone carrier may charge data fees to access the mobile web.

3. MapQuest provides the Send to Cell service free of charge; however, your wireless phone carrier may charge data fees to access the mobile web or for text messages. Some carriers block access to URL links within text messages; if you cannot click the link or you do not receive the text message, please check with your carrier.
m:metrics December 2007

If you're like most MapQuest users, you don't just come to MapQuest once or twice a month - you get maps and directions on an ongoing basis. With our new MapQuest Toolbar you can have easy access to the most useful MapQuest features right on your browser at all times.



The Toolbar has one-click quick links to Maps, Directions and a Web search capability. But perhaps one of the most convenient features is the quick link to our new Real Time Traffic feature.




Just choose one of more than 80 cities across the US and you'll quickly click to real time traffic in your area at any time. Check it before you leave for work or before an important appointment. You'll now be able to see congestion before you hop on a highway and choose an alternative route.

You probably already have one or maybe more toolbars on your browser but do you use all the features they bring? Use a Toolbar where you know you'll get the most use out of the handy features it provides right at your fingertips.

Try out the Toolbar now!

When we launched MapQuest Gas Prices last year we were thrilled to see how popular it was with our users. People love being able to not only find gas stations in their area, but also find the cheapest prices – a pretty useful feature these days. Since then, we've gotten a lot of feedback that we've used to make some great improvements to the site.

Here's a list of a few of the new features:

Gas Price Calculator – Just enter your Trip Distance, your car's Miles per Gallon and the Cost per Gallon of the gas station you picked from the site. Hit calculate and you'll quickly get the approximate cost of your trip.

Alternative Fuels – Now you can easily find a station nearby that has the type of alternative fuel your car needs. Even if you don't have a car that runs on alternative fuel, you might be curious to see where you could find it.

Expiration on Gas Prices – We update our gas & diesel prices up to 7 times a day, but not every station sends in updates everyday. Any price older than 48 hours no longer shows up in your search results.

If you're an existing user, you'll notice the changes and we hope you are happy with them. If you are new to MapQuest Gas Prices, go to the site at http://gasprices.mapquest.com and check out the prices in your area!

If you'd like to find out more, go to the Gas Prices About page.

On the heels of our launch of MapQuest Beta, we're following it up with some exciting enhancements to MapQuest for Mobile Web, a.k.a. our 'WAP' site. If you haven't tried MapQuest on your web-enabled cell phone, I'll give you an overview and then introduce the new enhancements to our service.

Almost all mobile phones sold in the last few years can give you access to the mobile web, so it's not like you have to have the latest gadget! Just go to www.mapquest.com on your phone's mobile web browser and you'll be able to find places, get maps and directions - 'right-sized' for your mobile phone. Millions of people are already using MapQuest for Mobile Web every month, and we're helping them get where they need to go, while they're on the go.

Here are the basics. In "Find a Place" you can search 16 million Points of Interest and find restaurants, hotels, parks, and more; just by putting in a name, zip, intersection or city. On most carriers you'll also enjoy our Click to Call feature; where you can simply click the phone number within the searched location and immediately call the business. Use Map a Location to get maps of the US and Canada that you can pan and zoom. And, in "Get Directions" you'll find reliable turn by turn directions just like online - only right on your phone. You can also choose advanced route options to avoid highways or toll roads.



And now we're introducing additional valuable features to our mobile-web service.

Gas Prices
OK, we're all shocked at the price of gas these days, but perhaps MapQuest can help ease your pain a bit. Now you can find the lowest priced gas on MapQuest for Mobile Web. Simply click on the 'Find Gas Prices', and you can find local stations by price, distance or the station name. So, whether you're running on "E", or just looking to save a buck, MapQuest Gas Prices can help you out.


Multi-point directions
Making more than one stop along your way?We've upgraded our 'Get Directions' link, to make multiple stops on a trip or while running errands. You can now add up to six locations to your route and get turn-by-turn directions from point A to B to C, etc, displayed right on your phone's screen.



Walking Directions
Taking on the city on foot? MapQuest for Mobile Web now has a Walking Directions option that displays the most direct route for pedestrians. Our walking routes ignore one-way streets and provide you with the shortest distance available.


So there you have it, enhanced features to make your on the go experience even better. Type in www.mapquest.com into your mobile browser and you're on your way.

Note: Check with your carrier about mobile web access – sometimes it's included with your service, but they may charge a small additional fee for web browsing or it may count toward your minutes.