• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, June 9, 2010

Clear Channel Radio's Total Traffic Network is continuing to expand its data offerings with the addition of a new feature that predicts probable heavy-traffic areas over the next few minutes, days, hours or weeks, based on an analysis of historical data and current traffic flows.

The new data service, Total Traffic HD Plus, is the product of a partnership with Inrix, incorporating information from Inrix's Predictive Flow and SmartDust Network monitoring current traffic conditions.

Total Traffic HD Plus provides drivers with real-time traffic flow, travel time forecasts, travel time comparisons for different routes, and fuel price information. The Inrix Predictive Flow service updates traffic pattern estimates every 15 minutes and issues dynamic route guidance based on these forecasts.

The new Clear Channel-Inrix deal is a five-year contract running until 2015. Overall, TTN's traffic data reaches over 125 million people through a number of partnerships with carmakers and device manufacturers. JVC will be the first to offer Total Traffic HD Plus.

Last month, Clear Channel Radio's Total Traffic Network struck a deal with TomTom, which operates a service that provides driving directions via mobile devices.

The deal allows TomTom to offer lifetime traffic updates from TTN as an option on its RDS-TMC devices. The new real-time traffic information offering expands an existing agreement to offer TTN updates by subscription.

The traffic information marketplace has been heating up over the last year. A few months ago, Westwood One bolstered its traffic news content with the acquisition of Sigalert from Jaytu Technologies, LLC.

That arrangement gave Westwood One control of Sigalert's digital system for collecting and distributing traffic information for various areas in Southern California, Northern California and Arizona. Westwood plans to expand Sigalert's coverage from its eight current markets to a total of 65 markets by the end of the year.