Google has added real-time traffic reports to Google Maps. Up until now, only mobile client users had access to traffic data.

Traffic information is available for a limited number of locations at this point, but odds are if you live near a fairly well-populated city, (think New York, Portland, Salt Lake city), there's probably some data for your area.

The interface is pretty simple. In fact, it might be too simple. There's a new tab next to map, hybrid, and satellite that says traffic. If you click on it, some of the major roads and highways will change colors. Here's the key:

• Green: traffic is moving at more than 50 miles per hour.
• Yellow: traffic is moving at 25-50 miles her hour.
• Red: less than 25 miles per hour.
• Gray: no data is available.

The thing is, there are a lot of gray areas right now. Both literally and figuratively. Because there are many patches of road that are grayed out, even in areas that are covered. And when you click the traffic tab to add those colored lines, you lose a key piece of data: the names of the street underneath.

Still, it's a good start, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Google refines this service in the future.

[via Google Operating System, and special thanks to Download Squad reader Rick Hahn]