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Show HN: We relaunched the Official MTA App for NYC public transit

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Re: Show HN: We relaunched the Official MTA App for NYC public transit

#51
post #43

It shows me all the bus stops... but not the subway unless I click on a station? I can't even figure out how to have it show me subway times automatically? I rarely take the bus but I'm on the train every day. Can I just have it show me that?

It shows me 17 bus stops, but not the 3 subway stations/lines I am equidistant from. I already went through and favorited all my stations to make it useful again, but the main screen prioritizing every bus stop over any subway stations is not helpful. It takes several clicks to get to what I need now (times of trains at nearest stations). I used the previous app everyday day.

Re: Show HN: We relaunched the Official MTA App for NYC public transit

#52
Shameless (in-progress) plug: https://yamtam.nyc

I find the NYC public transit system to be one of the most interesting in the world. Beyond the subways and LIRR and Metro North (which are covered by the MTA's app), there are literally dozens of other transit providers: Nassau bus, red bus, Suffolk bus, NJT, PATH, HBLR, Roosevelt Island Tram, and a shocking number of smaller targeted transit providers, as well as specialized transit modes like Citibike. No app, except maybe Citymapper, comes close to representing it all.

But Citymapper was acquired, by Via. A company who makes money when you don't choose public/mass transit. So that doesn't make me feel too good. Also, Citymapper doesn't work well offline.

Another important thing is that accessibility and alerts are regarded as very 2nd rate citizens on other apps, and for various reasons, I think these should be easier to see.

Enter my little tool. It has a long way to go, it doesn't do navigation very well (it's my own implementation of a weak algorithm), and doesn't work across modalities. But it does tell you the upcoming trains at stations (using the real time data), along with all the accessibility info, and alerts for the station and line. And links to complex maps, neighborhood maps, and more. And it can map schedules for the entire network 30 minutes into the future (2 hours for LIRR and Metro North), meaning you can go into airplane mode and it will keep working. Additionally, I have found it updates faster than other apps, as it is continually polling the MTA APIs.

Re: Show HN: We relaunched the Official MTA App for NYC public transit

#53
I like the update! I’d opened the app a few weeks ago and noticed a huge change.

I’ve been using it for trip planning and in some ways like it better than Google since it incorporates service alerts. On the flip side, sometimes the routes are a little bit non intuitive (like, you could do x, but I probably wouldn’t make 3 transfers.) I’ll try to see if I can find examples.

Re: Show HN: We relaunched the Official MTA App for NYC public transit

#54
post #28

Check out the “Data Linked to You”. Why does a subway app need my health and fitness data or any of my data at all?

They need to know if you had a medical condition while on the train that it was a preexisting condition to avoid any liability.

What absolute bs.

Re: Show HN: We relaunched the Official MTA App for NYC public transit

#55

Shameless (in-progress) plug: https://yamtam.nyc I find the NYC public transit system to be one of the most interesting in the world. Beyond the subways and LIRR and Metro North (which are covered by the MTA's app), there are literally dozens of other transit providers: Nassau bus, red bus, Suffolk bus, NJT, PATH, HBLR, Roosevelt Island Tram, and a shocking number of smaller targeted transit providers, as well as spe…

[dead]

Re: Show HN: We relaunched the Official MTA App for NYC public transit

#56
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They need to know if you had a medical condition while on the train that it was a preexisting condition to avoid any liability.

What absolute bs.

sorry you didn't read the implied /s that I felt was absolutely unnecessary to actually type out giving readers here the benefit of the doubt that it was understood without stating the obvious. but thanks for reminding me that not everyone reads the intent

Re: Show HN: We relaunched the Official MTA App for NYC public transit

#57
Good work but I can't stop missing Citymapper, especially how good it was before the pandemic and acquisition.

I love public transit and use MTA every day. A few personal projects mentioned here looks really promising. However, when I look at the fact that Citymapper is acquired for $100M and MTA is paying back $3B debt every year, I just wonder what was broken?

Re: Show HN: We relaunched the Official MTA App for NYC public transit

#58
post #12

I live and swear by Citymapper[0] for all cities that it supports. No other app I've used has been as good for public transport as Citymapper has been. I really hope one day one of these city transport organisations either buy it out, push for it, or license their tech. [0] https://citymapper.com/

Me too - no experience of it in NYC but I swear by it in London and it’s also been fantastic in other European cities. Far more reliable and accurate than Google Maps.

Re: Show HN: We relaunched the Official MTA App for NYC public transit

#59
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What absolute bs.

sorry you didn't read the implied /s that I felt was absolutely unnecessary to actually type out giving readers here the benefit of the doubt that it was understood without stating the obvious. but thanks for reminding me that not everyone reads the intent

You fell afoul of Poe's law [1]. People do read intent, but I think you're overestimating how clearly you communicated your intent. You say the /s was implied, but implied by what? It's a crazy statement for sure, but people come make matter of fact crazy statements on here all the time.

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe's_law

Re: Show HN: We relaunched the Official MTA App for NYC public transit

#60

I'll never delete the Exit Strategy app, which is no longer in the App Store, for two features: 1. the "neighborhood map" for each station, showing the actual extent of the station underground, and 2. the app's main feature: diagrams showing which car to be in – and which door to use! – to exit right in front of the turnstiles at each station on each line.

If you mean the one linked below, it seems very much on the iOS App Store (US). https://apps.apple.com/us/app/exit-strategy-nyc-subway-map/i...

Oh! Thanks. It was gone last time I looked...

I recommend it, it's excellent!

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