Rider calls for integration of London bus routes into Google Maps
Dear Editor:
I use London Transit exclusively for commuting, and I'm confused about why the London Transit Commission hasn't yet added their bus schedules to Google Maps.
I've relied on Google Maps to plan my transit routes in several cities I've lived in, including Halifax, Toronto, New York, Los Angeles and the other London (U.K.), and I can assure you wholeheartedly that the Google Maps experience is far, far, far superior to what I currently encounter when I try to plan a trip with the LTC.
First off, the LTC doesn't currently have a system that identifies the best route for getting me from Point A to Point B. I can't simply punch in my current address and my destination address and get an easy-to-understand description of how to get between the two addresses using the bus.
Here's an example of what the LTC ridership reasonably expects: 421 Adelaide St. E to 1200 Bathurst St. or http://g.co/maps/5q2pv.
Transfers, alternate routes, connection times, total travel time, walking distance to and from stops, the ability to set intended arrival/departure times, etc. — when I use Google Maps, all of this is at my fingertips in an intuitive and reliable interface on a system that's developed, maintained and continuously improved by the brightest minds and smartest engineers on the planet. And all these features are generated automatically by Google's algorithms — there wouldn't be any number crunching required by any of the LTC's engineers.
Second, the LTC's reliance on PDF and HTML timetables for each bus route is archaic and out of touch with the expectations of its current ridership, half of whom are university or college students who have grown up using services such as Google Maps on their home computers and mobile devices. I'm not suggesting that the PDF and HTML timetables should be eliminated — they're a great backup to have and should continue being available online — but they're anachronistic as a primary means of route planning.
Third, the LTC's WebWatch system, though well-intentioned, is a poorly implemented, buggy, unreliable and ultimately hollow experience without the full and complete integration of the LTC's transit data with Google Maps. For some reason, it feels as if the LTC was trying to replicate themselves what Google's entire team of Google Maps engineers had already made freely available to much better effect, a curious decision given the LTC's budget restraints.
Here's the step-by-step guide on how to add transit data to Google Maps: maps.google.com/help/maps/transit/partners. As Google makes clear, adding transit data to Google Maps is simple, but more importantly, it's free. Free! All they need to do is provide Google with the schedule for each route and the coordinates for each stop, data that they already have because of their ill-fated efforts with WebWatch. In other words, the LTC can make a substantial, tangible improvement to the daily experience of its entire ridership without adding a single penny to its annual budget.
How is this a decision that merits further debate?
What are the downsides to keeping what the LTC currently has and adding Google Maps as another route planning tool?
The top six metropolitan areas in Canada have all added their transit data to Google Maps, along with smaller cities like Halifax and even Fredericton. If they've all added their transit data to Google Maps, and received rave reviews from their ridership as a result, why hasn't London?
Pardis
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
I use London Transit exclusively for commuting, and I'm confused about why the London Transit Commission hasn't yet added their bus schedules to Google Maps.
I've relied on Google Maps to plan my transit routes in several cities I've lived in, including Halifax, Toronto, New York, Los Angeles and the other London (U.K.), and I can assure you wholeheartedly that the Google Maps experience is far, far, far superior to what I currently encounter when I try to plan a trip with the LTC.
First off, the LTC doesn't currently have a system that identifies the best route for getting me from Point A to Point B. I can't simply punch in my current address and my destination address and get an easy-to-understand description of how to get between the two addresses using the bus.
Here's an example of what the LTC ridership reasonably expects: 421 Adelaide St. E to 1200 Bathurst St. or http://g.co/maps/5q2pv.
Transfers, alternate routes, connection times, total travel time, walking distance to and from stops, the ability to set intended arrival/departure times, etc. — when I use Google Maps, all of this is at my fingertips in an intuitive and reliable interface on a system that's developed, maintained and continuously improved by the brightest minds and smartest engineers on the planet. And all these features are generated automatically by Google's algorithms — there wouldn't be any number crunching required by any of the LTC's engineers.
Second, the LTC's reliance on PDF and HTML timetables for each bus route is archaic and out of touch with the expectations of its current ridership, half of whom are university or college students who have grown up using services such as Google Maps on their home computers and mobile devices. I'm not suggesting that the PDF and HTML timetables should be eliminated — they're a great backup to have and should continue being available online — but they're anachronistic as a primary means of route planning.
Third, the LTC's WebWatch system, though well-intentioned, is a poorly implemented, buggy, unreliable and ultimately hollow experience without the full and complete integration of the LTC's transit data with Google Maps. For some reason, it feels as if the LTC was trying to replicate themselves what Google's entire team of Google Maps engineers had already made freely available to much better effect, a curious decision given the LTC's budget restraints.
Here's the step-by-step guide on how to add transit data to Google Maps: maps.google.com/help/maps/transit/partners. As Google makes clear, adding transit data to Google Maps is simple, but more importantly, it's free. Free! All they need to do is provide Google with the schedule for each route and the coordinates for each stop, data that they already have because of their ill-fated efforts with WebWatch. In other words, the LTC can make a substantial, tangible improvement to the daily experience of its entire ridership without adding a single penny to its annual budget.
How is this a decision that merits further debate?
What are the downsides to keeping what the LTC currently has and adding Google Maps as another route planning tool?
The top six metropolitan areas in Canada have all added their transit data to Google Maps, along with smaller cities like Halifax and even Fredericton. If they've all added their transit data to Google Maps, and received rave reviews from their ridership as a result, why hasn't London?
Pardis
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
