Never Missing the Train Again

Maybe I'm not understanding the use case. I don't want to "take the train". I want to get from A to B. If the train is broken, the workers are on strike, the route is blocked between 1pm and 4pm, or it's outside of operating hours then I want an alternative. So for me, I actually want what Google Maps gives me (or tries to give me). I do not just want to know about trains. Maybe I want to get from the Ferry Building to Oakland and maybe the Bart is broken so i'd be better to take the ferry. Maybe it's late so my only option is a taxi/uber.

Alternatives are especially important in other cities. In Tokyo if I want to go from Shibuya to Azabujuban I can take

* Ginza Line->Namboku line - advantages, (1) Ginza line starts at Shibuya so guaranteed a seat if I wait for the next train - though only for 4 stops where I have to switch (2) both lines are same train company so $1 cheaper

* Hanzomon Line->Oedo line - advantages, fastest

* Yamanoto line->Namboku line

* #6 bus - advantages: no changes, disadvantage, slowest

* taxi - advantage: fastest if there's no line for taxis or if I'm confident I can find one quickly

Extra considerations. Each line's station and the bus stop are 3 to 8 minutes walk from each other so if I'm closest to one that would weigh on my choice. Speed matters too, if I'm late. If I have large or heavy packages I'd be more likely to take the cab. Etc....

Plugging my own project here [1] for SF's Muni to say I 100% agree with you - the phone is a trap! There's something so charming about having a thing you know you can look at anytime and __no matter what__ it's doing exactly what you expect it to be doing.

[1]: https://github.com/mattegan/muniscreen

Your app is stunning! Love the real-time map!

I'm working on some hardware in this space (I've been up to my eyeballs in GTFS lately) and I can tell just how much went into parsing and presenting the transit data.

If you're willing, I would love to chat about some of the UX decisions you made - specifically in summarizing and grouping the trips available at each stop, and your backend!

When realtime information was first available from my public transit system, it was via an SMS system that was widely advertised at every bus stop and train station, wherein each received a five-digit ID code. So you'd text that code to a special number, and it'd reply with the "NextRide" timings.

Unfortunately, it was wildly inaccurate. Every time I queried it, it said the bus had already left (I'd been standing there 10 minutes) or it didn't take into account active detours, or something. The only thing it was good for was determining the headways between buses (15, 20, 30 minutes?) and then you could at least calculate your longest wait at that stop.

The next iteration involved installing the bespoke and quite buggy app provided by the transit authority themselves. Now this theoretically depended on the same GPS trackers in the coaches as the SMS system had. But I had major troubles with the app, and I didn't like it, and it barely did anything else, and so I uninstalled it. And I did without it for a while longer.

Now the app is improved, and it's got QR pass technology included, so I reinstalled it, and I use it more. But, for tracking the buses, I prefer Google Maps.

Our transit authority graciously shares 100% real-time tracking info with Google, and you can track any bus in Maps, including crowdsourced info, such as "How crowded? Is security aboard?"

It works really well, and really accurate; displays every delay and updates by-the-minute as buses or trains pass each stop. Sometimes I pass the time just sitting there and watching my bus make its way down the street.

[flagged]