Traffic in Austin is bad. It’s so predictably terrible that hearing complaints about it has become as much of an annoyance as sitting in it. But just how bad is it? Homegrown online traffic forecaster Commute.ly is here to answer that very question.

Local software/business process consultant Nik Collins created Commute.ly to help him predict if he still had time to beat rush hour. If not he might as well get some more work done rather than sitting on MoPac listening to his car engine idle. His co-workers quickly demanded access to the tool and it has grown by word of mouth ever since.

Commute.ly uses a traffic api to get the latest stats on how long it takes for a certain route. It is updated every minute and the info is stored to help predict similar routes in the future.

Routes include north- and southbound I-35 from Highway 183 to 71 and Onion Creek to 15th; MoPac from Far West to 360 and other routes including 183, 2222, South Lamar, and South First. Pretty much all the traffic hotspots you try to avoid if possible.

Got an appointment along one of the traffic trouble areas? This might help plan your trip and get you there without the guesswork. Sure, Waze and Google Maps offers traffic reports, but there something to be said for a tool that understands Austin’s baseline commute times to give a little context.

Collins plans to monetize the site at some point, but for now the tool is free and open to anyone who wants to check it out.