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Google's In-House Incubator Made a Waze-Like App For the New York City Subway (theverge.com)
Google's in-house startup incubator Area 120 has developed a new app to help New York City subway commuters avoid delays. An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: The app, called Pigeon, is live on Apple's App Store, but access is still limited to those with an invitation code. Its developers say the app can help commuters choose routes that avoid delays and crowds other users report. Google Maps and the MTA's own website already provide information on what trains aren't working. But Pigeon will also allow users to post specific comments and note annoying incidents, such as loud street performers. It sounds more like a social media app for New Yorkers to commiserate on their miserable commutes.
After you download Pigeon, it'll prompt you to allow location services multiple times. Once inside the app, there are cute pigeons all over the subway map, but tapping on them right away doesn't seem to do anything. The app's functionality is extremely reliant on what people report (hence the large purple Report button at the bottom of the screen). Pigeon's traffic reports sound just like Google's Waze app but exclusively for the New York subway system.
After you download Pigeon, it'll prompt you to allow location services multiple times. Once inside the app, there are cute pigeons all over the subway map, but tapping on them right away doesn't seem to do anything. The app's functionality is extremely reliant on what people report (hence the large purple Report button at the bottom of the screen). Pigeon's traffic reports sound just like Google's Waze app but exclusively for the New York subway system.
Almost all the time there will not be any useful alternatives to get to your destination. If you are already on the subway there is most likely no quicker alternative. If you check the app before you travel and you happen to be somewhere where there are multiple lines it might be useful but if the delay happens after you start you are probably stuck.
Not really, well-connected public transit systems often have multiple ways to get to the same destination. Heck, there are plenty of popular YouTube videos that take the challenge of going between two subway stations by getting off on one, running to the other, and boarding the same train.
And often the place I'm going to is between stations, so it's a tossup to which station I should get off at and walking. This app could easily tell you which way is better (we got into an argument at work over this - there were two stations you could stop at and which was better to use).
And often times, there are multiple routes you can take, so if one is a bit slower, it can be better to take the alternative.
In places with barely a public transit system, yes, it's too constrained and alternatives are generally terrible. But if you have a well connected system, often the optimal path is something highly debated amongst travellers.