mariokarter
February 7th, 2009, 03:21 AM
For those of you who don't know Google transit is a feature of google maps that allows users to get public transit directions instead of driving directions. Google transit has already been implemented in amny cities around the world, including Vancouver, Fredricton, Montreal, and Hamilton, Ottawa, and York Region here in Ontario.
For more information see: http://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/transit/index.html
The TTC is currently not part of google transit and has no immediate plans to do so. A quick google of "ttc google transit" brings up this blog article:
http://crazedmonkey.com/blog/ttc/no-google-transit-for-ttc.html
...in which Adam Giambrone allegedly (its just a blog) gave some insight as to why this is, citing concerns of implementation and costs, their priority to establish an in house trip planner first, and complaints about google transit's sub optimal trip planning in portland.
So, what do you think, should the ttc join google transit?
What I think:
I think google transit is a great trip planning tool that can be used in conjunction with the TTC's website and whatever they decide to do with it. Using google transit you can easily see if its easier to drive somewhere or take transit. When getting directions the first thing people do is enter the destination address into google maps (or mapquest, or MS live or whatever but not the TTC's site), and that it turn automatically spits out driving instructions. Google transit will encourage people to use public transit and save the environment.
Also, google transit is much more helpfull to people visiting toronto. Too ilustrate this I'll use the example of NYC, somewhere where we would all be visitors. The people of NYC (presumably) know who operates their public transit and their website where trip planning information can be acquired. Visitors wouldn't neccisarilly know this (i think the MTA operates the trains but im not sure) without looking it up, but google maps is universal. Also, google maps runs on cellphones, where as the TTC's website(if they had trip planning) (or any operator's website) would be disastrous trying to navigate on a phone due to the low resolution and all the scrolling that would be required.
And honestly given the craptastic state that the TTCs website was in for forever I really can't see hows google's implementation of TTC directions can be any worse that what the TTC is able to come up with.
For more information see: http://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/transit/index.html
The TTC is currently not part of google transit and has no immediate plans to do so. A quick google of "ttc google transit" brings up this blog article:
http://crazedmonkey.com/blog/ttc/no-google-transit-for-ttc.html
...in which Adam Giambrone allegedly (its just a blog) gave some insight as to why this is, citing concerns of implementation and costs, their priority to establish an in house trip planner first, and complaints about google transit's sub optimal trip planning in portland.
So, what do you think, should the ttc join google transit?
What I think:
I think google transit is a great trip planning tool that can be used in conjunction with the TTC's website and whatever they decide to do with it. Using google transit you can easily see if its easier to drive somewhere or take transit. When getting directions the first thing people do is enter the destination address into google maps (or mapquest, or MS live or whatever but not the TTC's site), and that it turn automatically spits out driving instructions. Google transit will encourage people to use public transit and save the environment.
Also, google transit is much more helpfull to people visiting toronto. Too ilustrate this I'll use the example of NYC, somewhere where we would all be visitors. The people of NYC (presumably) know who operates their public transit and their website where trip planning information can be acquired. Visitors wouldn't neccisarilly know this (i think the MTA operates the trains but im not sure) without looking it up, but google maps is universal. Also, google maps runs on cellphones, where as the TTC's website(if they had trip planning) (or any operator's website) would be disastrous trying to navigate on a phone due to the low resolution and all the scrolling that would be required.
And honestly given the craptastic state that the TTCs website was in for forever I really can't see hows google's implementation of TTC directions can be any worse that what the TTC is able to come up with.