Comment GPS data and hybrid-trip planning would be great (Score 1) 325
I grew up in Portland, and when I left, TriMet was still getting a halfway decent transit-planning system in place online. It only worked some of the time, and it gagged on my address because it couldn't figure out where the nearest bus stop is.
Fast forward to today. I can see pretty clearly that TriMet's database, which they were building when I moved away about four years ago, is comprehensive enough to map it onto the Google Maps router. I think that's pretty damn impressive.
About the only thing it needs now is hybrid trip functionality: Park-and-ride is pretty successful in Portland, and it'd be great if there were a way for it to tell me how much a trip would cost as a hybrid too. I have no idea if that's possible.
The one thing that would make this even more useful is if it were possible (Homeland Security concerns notwithstanding) to tap into TriMet's GPS data for the buses and trains on the system. Then, Google could actually give you statistical timetable information (this bus is early 65% of the time, this bus runs late 98% of the time [I'm looking at you, 38 and 39]), and could show you where the buses are currently on the route for upcoming trips.
Fast forward to today. I can see pretty clearly that TriMet's database, which they were building when I moved away about four years ago, is comprehensive enough to map it onto the Google Maps router. I think that's pretty damn impressive.
About the only thing it needs now is hybrid trip functionality: Park-and-ride is pretty successful in Portland, and it'd be great if there were a way for it to tell me how much a trip would cost as a hybrid too. I have no idea if that's possible.
The one thing that would make this even more useful is if it were possible (Homeland Security concerns notwithstanding) to tap into TriMet's GPS data for the buses and trains on the system. Then, Google could actually give you statistical timetable information (this bus is early 65% of the time, this bus runs late 98% of the time [I'm looking at you, 38 and 39]), and could show you where the buses are currently on the route for upcoming trips.
