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Google Transit Now In Beta
KIondike writes "Google's introduced Google Transit, a new Lab product where users (or, "people") can map trips around their city using public transit. From the Google Blog: 'With it, commuters will be able to easily access public transit schedules, routes, and plan trips using their local public transportation options. This first release covers only the Portland, Oregon metro area, but we are working to expand our coverage very soon.' The amount of data they give seems very comprehensive, including time you'll spend walking to the bus or subway, and the amount of money it would cost compared to driving."
Is there nothing Google can't do? If anyone working at Google sees this, I am offering free personal sexual favors. Just do Los Angeles next.
Where all think alike, no one thinks very much.
I'm not sure, however, if even Google has enough computing capacity to figure out NYC's public transit.
Now I can find the quickest way from Bald Peak to Beaverton, then into Rocky Butte.
Dude....you just said....
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
Transport for London Journey Planner
Quite cool; allows you to plot a journey on several different types of public transport. Even includes the amount of time it takes to walk to the station, which makes it really really useful.
By summer it was all gone...now shesmovedon. --
It does have some new ideas, like price compared to driving, but otherwise it's not.
The Danish site Rejseplanen covers all public transportation in Denmark, from anywhere to anywhere, including address to address, along with estimated times for walking from Point A to Stop B.
As for people entering data into it? Well, that's also new compared to Rejseplanen, but why would you need it, when the site has access to every single itinerary in the country?
We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.
Portland's tri-met system already has an excellent trip planner. Google's transit applies that along their map as they do with driving directions. Can't wait to see this for other cities!
Tried this out today. The directions weren't too bad, although it didn't seem to be including the MAX trains in its calculations, at least not logically.
For the bus system in Ottawa, OCTranspo has provided an application for just such a purpose. You can enter starting and ending destinations, and it tells you how to get there, including walking times and wait times. It works quite well, and isn't something I expected to get for free. It's called the Travel Planner.
OCTranspo
Now other people will be able to take public transit more effectively, freeing up more room on the freeway for me and my Hummer!
I'd like to see them do Detroit. The instructions would start with "start at least 3 hours before you want to get anywhere." Then "walk up to 3 miles to the nearest bus station". Then "Wait up to an hour for a bus". Yeah our transit sucks.
After recently moving to Chicago I've become quite used to utilizing the CTA's trip planner, which also accounts for the maintenance work to tracks and bus schedule changes.
My major concern would be that if the CTA's database is private, Google will not be able to ascertain that, and with all mapping software there will be huge problems with the data being up to date. What's the benefit of this over what's already out there? Is there a major city that doesn't already have a trip planner set up on their own?
Seems to be reinventing the wheel.
...is the sound of everyone at HopStop shitting their pants. Shame, because HopStop works really well, at least for NYC.
I think this is great. A big reason people don't use public transport in urban areas is that often it is just too much of hassle to figure out the schedule, especially when you're going somewhere new.
What they need to do next is to work with the municipalities* to integrate GPS tracking on all city buses so anyone, anywhere, can get real time info on when the next bus will arrive. No more waiting at the bustop in the rain!
*This probably won't happen, at least in cities like Boston, where the unions have a stranglehold on the public transport system. They are dead set against GPS tracking. They would no longer be able to cover up just how inefficient and horrible they really are. They last thing want is somebody to start compiling databases about their on-time percentages.
Information isn't the only criteria: it's the quality of the way in which it's delivered. I live in the suburbs of a major mid-western city, and while they have an online trip planner it's worse than useless. It's incredibly picky about case and syntax, typically requires half a dozen "searches" until it comes up with something close to what you want. Doesn't inspire confidence, that's for sure. If nothing else, if Google can keep their information accurate and up-to-date their presentation of it will make them a winner.
... you have to find something for them to do. That's just as much true for a few thousand buck privates as it is for a bunch of Ph.D's and engineers.
Rather than being spread too thin, I think Google's problem is more akin to a typical standing army: they have all these people standing around being paid
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
The problem with most transit systems and websites is that, like your link, they assume you already know what bus/train/etc. you want to take. What this service (and many 'trip planners') do is allow you to simply input the start and end locations, and it will determine what route(s) can be used and show you how to get there.
"There was a big scandal in Boston not too long ago about just that happening with (sometimes private contracted) snow plow drivers - they started putting GPS on the plows & let's just say there was a lot of sleeping on the job going on & contracted routes just plain not getting plowed."
Funny. About a year ago, the unions were protesting putting GPS on school buses. You should have seen the TV newscast. The union head was frothing at the mouth about 'Big Brother' and John Ashcroft, when all people wanted was a way to improve the on-time performance and allow parents know where the kids were. See:
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/article
The DC Metro system has had a trip planner availabe for years now:
Metro Trip Planner
I always though that most major metro areas with well-developed public transit systems had something like this.
The "Société de Transport de Montréal" (Montreal Public Transit) has had a public transit planner called "Tous Azimuts" (All directions) on their website since...
Shush you and all of the other naysayers! Google invented everything. Personally I can't wait until Google invents TCP/IP.
No route, timing, or cost information appears when using Safari... I wonder why that is?
I tried out Google Transit and was like "that's not very useful... it's the same information as Google Maps gives you"
Using Firefox I can see what the BFD is.