Comments on: Chicago To Provide GPS Tracking Data For All Bus Lines http://metroriderla.com/2008/04/03/chicago-to-provide-gps-tracking-data-for-all-bus-lines/ los angeles transit oriented lifestyle Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:25:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: wac http://metroriderla.com/2008/04/03/chicago-to-provide-gps-tracking-data-for-all-bus-lines/comment-page-1/#comment-300764 wac Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:12:16 +0000 http://metroriderla.com/?p=1543#comment-300764 www.rapidbus.net provides a similar interface... but only for rapid buses... still, i think they are on the right track! http://www.rapidbus.net provides a similar interface… but only for rapid buses… still, i think they are on the right track!

]]> By: ubrayj02 http://metroriderla.com/2008/04/03/chicago-to-provide-gps-tracking-data-for-all-bus-lines/comment-page-1/#comment-299061 ubrayj02 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:57:20 +0000 http://metroriderla.com/?p=1543#comment-299061 This is a horrible idea! Why would you want the public to know where its buses are? This information could be used by terrorists! What's next? Open platforms for rail travel? This is a horrible idea!

Why would you want the public to know where its buses are? This information could be used by terrorists!

What’s next? Open platforms for rail travel?

]]> By: Stephen http://metroriderla.com/2008/04/03/chicago-to-provide-gps-tracking-data-for-all-bus-lines/comment-page-1/#comment-298991 Stephen Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:34:13 +0000 http://metroriderla.com/?p=1543#comment-298991 It seems like it wouldn't be too difficult for Metro to implement this since I'm assuming they already have GPS equipped buses (based on the automated stop annunciation and Local Live maps on TransitTV). However, the current real time arrival information on rapidbus.net doesn't work half the time. That's because the LA system doesn't use GPS, but rather the loophole sensors in the road; those big ones that stretch the entire width of the road. When a bus goes over that sensor, it estimates how long until the bus reaches the next stop. Therefore, the information we are getting about when the next bus will be arriving is limited to when a bus goes over the sensor. Now, if the sensor is down or the sign is down, then it's SOL. But it seems like since Metro and the City have so much already invested into this infrastructure, they would be hard pressed to back out. This is why you can't see any real time arrival info for the 720 in Beverly Hills because they are not part of the City of LA. The same goes for the 704, where the light synchronization is split between SM East and SM West because BH is sandwiched in the middle. I'm sure people who have used transit up north have heard of nextbus.com which provides real time arrival info for <a href="http://www.nextbus.com/predictor/stopSelector.jsp?a=actransit&r=51" rel="nofollow">AC Transit</a> and <a href="http://www.nextmuni.com/predictor/simplePrediction.shtml?a=sf-muni&r=22&d=23025&s=16STMIS2" rel="nofollow">Muni</a>. It seems like for the 14/714 riders especially (at least of what I have been reading), it would prove invaluable. If the bus was running late, you know you'd have time to stop and get a quick coffee instead of waiting 20 minutes for a bus that should have came 3 minutes ago. It'd also be nice to see Metro adapt <a href="http://www.bart.gov/stations/eta/" rel="nofollow">BART</a> and <a href="http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/stations_pid.cfm" rel="nofollow">WMATA</a> real time arrival info for the subways. The new flat screen plasmas are hardly necessary when the current red scrolling marquees could have displayed just as easily any real time info. It seems like it wouldn’t be too difficult for Metro to implement this since I’m assuming they already have GPS equipped buses (based on the automated stop annunciation and Local Live maps on TransitTV). However, the current real time arrival information on rapidbus.net doesn’t work half the time. That’s because the LA system doesn’t use GPS, but rather the loophole sensors in the road; those big ones that stretch the entire width of the road. When a bus goes over that sensor, it estimates how long until the bus reaches the next stop. Therefore, the information we are getting about when the next bus will be arriving is limited to when a bus goes over the sensor. Now, if the sensor is down or the sign is down, then it’s SOL. But it seems like since Metro and the City have so much already invested into this infrastructure, they would be hard pressed to back out. This is why you can’t see any real time arrival info for the 720 in Beverly Hills because they are not part of the City of LA. The same goes for the 704, where the light synchronization is split between SM East and SM West because BH is sandwiched in the middle.

I’m sure people who have used transit up north have heard of nextbus.com which provides real time arrival info for AC Transit and Muni. It seems like for the 14/714 riders especially (at least of what I have been reading), it would prove invaluable. If the bus was running late, you know you’d have time to stop and get a quick coffee instead of waiting 20 minutes for a bus that should have came 3 minutes ago.

It’d also be nice to see Metro adapt BART and WMATA real time arrival info for the subways. The new flat screen plasmas are hardly necessary when the current red scrolling marquees could have displayed just as easily any real time info.

]]> By: tykejohnson http://metroriderla.com/2008/04/03/chicago-to-provide-gps-tracking-data-for-all-bus-lines/comment-page-1/#comment-298886 tykejohnson Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:06:29 +0000 http://metroriderla.com/?p=1543#comment-298886 <blockquote>Instead of spending $60 million on fare gates which offer nothing to the customer, why doesn’t Metro spend half that to provide a service that would offer a huge service to the largest portion of the Metro riding public… the bus riders.</blockquote> amen a million times. bravo CTA for pwning the hell out of us! i know chicago transit isn't perfect, and they have their fiscal pit falls, but if they can do this, there's absolutely no reason LA can't. halting this insane 60 mil to be thrown away on unjustifiable fare gates is a start.

Instead of spending $60 million on fare gates which offer nothing to the customer, why doesn’t Metro spend half that to provide a service that would offer a huge service to the largest portion of the Metro riding public… the bus riders.

amen a million times. bravo CTA for pwning the hell out of us! i know chicago transit isn’t perfect, and they have their fiscal pit falls, but if they can do this, there’s absolutely no reason LA can’t. halting this insane 60 mil to be thrown away on unjustifiable fare gates is a start.

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