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ChineseGoing Ga-Ga for Google Transit
Two days ago I said, We want our Google Transit!
I wasn’t alone. The consensus from the 20+ comments the post received was that MetroRiders are ready for a better trip planner. What’s more, the post caught the eye of some blog-savvy Metro employees, who in defense of their employer, let fly with some very good news.
Google Transit is on its way to LA!
Metro bus data is ready to go, and Metro rail data is in the process of being added as I type. Once Metro compiles all the information, hopefully by this summer, Angelenos will have to option to “Take Public Transit” every time they search for directions on Google Maps. Why summer at the earliest, and not right now? Setting up a transit feed with Google Transit is a time consuming process that requires a lot of unglamorous grunt work, and inputing rail data is even more taxing. But what matters is that it’s been confirmed and is coming soon.
There’s actually more good news. Metro is integrating Google Maps with NexTrip, which hopefully means real-time bus maps. Metro is also working on an updated Trip Planner featuring integration with Google Maps and a “more powerful routing algorithm”. The most exciting news to me is that Metro plans on releasing these new web tools to the public, so the functionality can be integrated into non-Metro websites. Imagine what it will mean for transit when websites for businesses/restaurants/etc are able to provide integrated and personalized transit directions. As it stands now, if a business even acknowledges transit, it’s usually just by including a link to the Metro website… how much more effective would it be to have a small widget where a potential customer can simply input their address and be given step-by-step transit directions. I cannot wait!
Once Metro is on Google Transit, it will be the largest U.S. city to use the tool, beating out Chicago (a new member of the Google Transit community). Chicago, in addition to providing real-time scheduling information, also plans on installing kiosks at select stations where riders can log on and have their personalized transit directions printed out. Metro should match Chicago’s innovation, and maybe even one-up them in some way!
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Discussion
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This is perfect! Now if only we had Google Maps for Mobile using transit data, we can all use phones to visually plot out our trips, instantaneously!
now all we need is to have the ability to see where on the route the bus is located within google maps and were set!
pie in the sky dreaming here
[...] Walla Walla WA – Valley Transit and Grapevine Los Angeles, CA – coming soon! [...]
oh man!!! this is going to be sweet!
Foothill Transit just chimed in on Siel’s Emerald City Blog with this:
“Foothill Transit is also working with Google to get our system, which covers the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys, onto Google Transit. We’re hoping to be up and running this year, pending some software upgrades.”
-Felicia Friesema
-Marketing and Communications Manager, Foothill Transit
[...] Metro Working with Google Transit (Emerald City, Metro Rider) [...]
Yay, Foothill Transit, too!
Metrolink expects to add our system to the Google website by Earthday, 2008, which is on April 22.
Wow, the good news keeps coming. And congratulations and props to Metrolink for trying, and hopefully getting their system on Google Transit by Earth Day!