Content
1. Real Time Traffic
2. New and Notable
3. PikeNet Banners
4. Web Statistics
5. PikeNet Changes
6. REIPA
7. Subscribing and Canceling

1. Real Time Traffic... One of the most interesting applications of the web is the creation of "real time" traffic sites where information on highway sensors is uploaded to a graphical map every 2 to 5 minutes. Probably the most advanced is the Houston Real-Time Traffic site. Here the visitor can look at an overall image of the Houston Freeway grid with colored lines showing average speed. Then you can examine detailed data reports of individual sections showing information like distance, travel time and average speed. But the most interesting thing about this site is the "Freeway Route Builder" feature. You can build your own particular route to determine how long, under current conditions, it may take to travel to a particular destination. Then you can bookmark the report to return to it easily in the future. Fire up your browser and plan your commute!

The Southern California Real-Time Traffic Reports cover Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego in three separate maps. Average freeway speeds are shown, and individual sensors can be clicked to check out the flow of traffic at that point. Atlanta Real-Time Traffic starts with a map of the metropolitan area and then allows a visitor to choose smaller maps and eventually text-based descriptions of traffic at specific points. Seattle Metropolitan Area Traffic Conditions features a very attractive graphical image of their freeway and transportation grid. Rather than show average speed, it shows the volume of traffic, e.g., heavy, moderate. One neat aspect of this site is the ability to use WebFLOW to download the maps to your PC and to have these updated through your Internet connection automatically. To find these sites, click the hyperlinks at the bottom right side of the PikeNet home page. (Note: Traffic sites are susceptible to breakdown. If you can't get through, try later.)

2. New and Notable... Metric Realty, which acquires garden apartments, grocer-anchored shopping centers and warehouses nationwide, does a particularly good job of describing its acquisition process and provides many e-mail addresses for acquisition representatives. Source Real Estate: San Diego features an excellent collection of local and regional resources for the area, including recent leases, foreclosure notices and demographic information. Genuity delivers the Internet to office buildings through their Built-IN ™ product line which provides individual tenants with high speed, reasonably priced Internet access. Jones Lang Wootton in Singapore is now online with a site that provides very good market research, including their Property Trends Quarterly. Pacific Building Industry provides a wonderful collection of resources for building industry service and product providers in Northern California.

Arthur Andersen's Real Estate Services Group has upgraded their site and added interesting papers on industry trends, including their quarterly Corporate Real Estate Executives Report. ARES Development Group, which markets the add-on to ACT for real estate, has put up an attractive site that provides very good support. McHugh Properties, based in San Francisco, acquires a variety of commercial properties in the Western States. Carnow, Conibear & Associates are environmental and occupational health consultants with offices in Chicago and Atlanta. Edmund Tie & Company is a Singapore-based chartered surveyor. Lee & Associates' North Los Angeles and Ventura County office is now online. Investments Limited owns and manages shopping centers in South Florida. Affordable Housing Finance presents synopses of articles as a promotion for its print publication.

3. PikeNet Banners... During the month of August traffic at PikeNet increased by 31%. Consistently I'm told by advertisers that PikeNet banners drive traffic to their site. Each of our rotating Top Level banners were seen 1,500 times. Remember, with each impression, a visitor is one click away from visiting your site. Consider a PikeNet banner to increase your traffic. To view all the banners currently posted, click the hyperlink toward the bottom right side of the PikeNet home page. (The banners will take a while to download because they are all on the same page.)

4. Web Statistics... According to a CommerceNet/Nielsen Internet Demographics Study conducted in the U.S. and Canada during March/April 1996, 37 million persons have Internet access (17%). During the previous 3 months, 24 million had actually used the Internet (11%) and 18 million had actually used the web (8%). Thanks to Jane Zastrow at the California Real Estate Journal for calling this survey to my attention.

5. PikeNet Changes... At the suggestion of Henry Robbins at Office Buildings Magazine, I've divided the New York City/Long Island Market Area into four separate Market Areas: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County and Hudson Valley. There is a new Service Toolkit for Internet information.

6. REIPA... Recently organized, this is the Real Estate Information Providers Association. According to Tony Stewart of Moore Data Systems, "REIPA, is a new forum for professionals and organizations focusing on development, distribution and support of real estate related information." Contact him at reipa@aol.com for membership information.

7. Subscribing and Canceling... If you do not want to receive this Dispatch, please reply with "cancel" in the Message field to remove your name. If you know a person who would like to be added to this list, please send me an e-mail with the word "subscribe." Please include your name and company.

--Peter Pike /