Originally Posted by
Walter S
Does your mass transit have an app? What kind of info does it show you? Our MARTA transit has an app that shows lots of info on buses and trains. Here's a Real Time Map that shows my current location relative to bus #21.
Attachment 535835
I can also see bus schedules. For trains I can see how long till the next boarding at any given station.
The system is also tied into the Google Maps app. So if I plot a route Google tells me which bus to take and how to get to the bus stop, transfers to another bus or train, what time to leave, etc. I can plan to leave right now or at a later time. I can schedule the arrival instead of the departure, etc.
How about your system?
NJ Transit uses technology from a company called Clever Devices. Almost every bus has a GPS where it can predict when the bus will arrive at a certain street. It's pretty good when it works about 95% of the time during the week days. However, it's about 70% accurate during the weekends which is why you still need PDF's of the bus schedule stored on your phone.
NJ Transit also has this same feature for it's commuter rail and lightrail systems. I've never used them but I'm glad they are there. NJ Transit also has a feature on the website that will create a trip to your destination using the fastest combination of bus, lightrail and commuter rail. It's fascinating how technology keeps getting better all the time.
I remember back in the 1970's, this information was very difficult to get as bus depots didn't have paper schedules and it was rare to find any on the bus. However, I consider these Apps and transit websites to be a real game changer. It's a huge advantage and a main reason I returned back to using the bus.
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