METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

re: METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

DominicMazoch — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:38:54 GMT

About time.

re: METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

kevin whited — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:49:38 GMT

** The real estate blog, Swamplot, loves this merger of METRO routes with Google Transit, saying **

The hobby bloggers even managed to post about this news DAYS before METRO's expensive, taxpayer-funded blogger did.

That's really some return on the taxpayer's investment.

re: METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

Barretto24 — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 05:39:50 GMT

As Ms. Sit explaned, the trip planners are good for a baseline of where you need to go. All trip planners, in Houston, in New York, for employees, or on the phone are never perfect. I fear this:

METRO starts by submiting information to Google at first and it works pretty smooth. Then when the next service changes come, Google won't be updated and someone from out of town will get a little bit confused. Eventually, if it is rarely updated, the entire system gets out of hand (Think when the 236 didn't go to Baytown). The project fails and everyone is either confused or mad.

I hope everyone will rely on METRO's Trip Planner or the call center. It cuts out the middle man so information cannot be "lost in translation." Even though I predict bad outcomes, I hope it will still work.

re: METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

Peter Wang — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:08:49 GMT

It's good, but I also worry about periodic updates. Hopefully, there is a plan in place to do this frequently and automatically.

re: METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

JLN — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:31:41 GMT

Another problem:

Plan a trip from Hobby Airport to Bush IAH, It doesn't have any option to take the 102 , it wants people to take that wasted 500 bus.

Same way if you plan a trip from the Hillcroft Transit...

$15 bucks one way is out of the question for most metro riders....

re: METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

JamesL — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:07:37 GMT

The point is it sends you on the 500 from downtown no matter what. The logic is clearly that it takes less time. Google doesn't factor in the fare.

I don't know how METRO determines these things, but I think some serious thought should be given to lowering the Airport Direct fare to $10 or even $5. I have to believe you would get at least 3 times more riders at $5 than you do at $15. What kind of public transportation prices itself out of most people's reasonable range? I's not like METRO is trying to turn a profit, so why not serve more people?

re: METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

John — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:02:26 GMT

Unlike the METRO version, Google actually recognizes Houston street addresses on the first try. It's much better - I'd suggest killing the one on your own site and just directing people to Google. Seriously.

re: METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

DominicMazoch — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:58:13 GMT

Cedric:

Airport to Airpoert--SW does not go to Bush. CO does not go to Hobby. Or somebody wants to go to the other airport, but is dropped off at the one on the other side of town.

The 5XX should go to HOBBY!

re: METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

Jake — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:00:19 GMT

Re:

Another problem:

Plan a trip to... Bush IAH, It doesn't have any option to take the 102 , it wants people to take that wasted 500 bus.

$15 bucks one way is out of the question for most metro riders....

Response:

Google is about speed and efficiency. Additionally, the METRO 303030 to IAH bus is for air travelers. They don't fall into the standard METRO demographic and indeed can afford to pay for an upgrade in service.

re: METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

Jake — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:09:16 GMT

Quote:

Sorry Dominic but that doesn't make sense. What does make sense is that there should not only be trips from the METRO Airport Direct Pass. Plaza to Bush and back but also trips from METRO Airport Direct Pass. Plaza to Hobby and back---just like a regular route.

Sorry Cedric but that doesn't make sense. What does make sense is for the planners with the necessary data to make good decisions based on ridership demands. DTC to IAH and back---just like a regular route.

Moreover, the commute to IAH from Downtown is significantly more time consuming than the commute from Downtown to HOB. Indeed, the 80 bus already only takes about half an hour.

Further analysis suggests that the types of clients that use each airport have different demands. IAH serves international and long distance travelers, while HOB is the economical alternative. Accordingly, METRO need not offer expensive special service to a destination that already has great service on two routes and that doesn't have the user base to support higher fees.

re: METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

Cedric Collins — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:45:16 GMT

Whatever floats your boat Jake but it makes perfect sense to me. To each his own, I guess. What's also wrong is that the 80 route doesn't go to Hobby; the 88 route DOES go to Hobby. The 88 may not take that long to get to Hobby to some people but there ARE stops in between and certain folks may want to go DIRECTLY there (to the airport)---just like a taxi service.

There is such a thing as a "trial run" to see if the number of people METRO want to see will use the service and if successful, green light. If not, scrap the plan.

The point is that if people want to go from downtown DIRECTLY to any of the two airports with NO stops in bewteen, this Airport Direct thingy should do nicely instead of the 88. Otherwise, if you think it doesn't work, then the only other solution I have is the taxi---if you ride by yourself, of course.

re: METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

J. Liggins — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 16:05:18 GMT

The 88 takes 45 minutes on a good day from Downtown to Hobby and like most Metro services it is often late.

re: METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

Cedric Collins — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:51:45 GMT

JLN,

I haven't tried it out yet but I'll try it out to see if it's better than Trip Planner.

re: METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

Marques — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:32:08 GMT

Honestly, I just moved to the area and use public transit from my home to work. I found that the google transit was available to use on my Iphone and It worked amazingly well. I couldn't have been more pleased. But now I've noticed that the transit option doesn't work anymore. I'm completly sick over this. This one feature was well worth the entire purchase price of the iPhone. Has anyone else experienced this issue? I've also tested it through the regular online site from the computer and it's also not working. I hope they can get this together soon.

re: METRO Adds Routes to Google Transit

Cedric Collins — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:38:01 GMT

Just tried this Google Transit deal and yup---there's flaws that need to be fixed.

For example, I want to depart from the Mesa Transit Center and would need to go to the HCC-Central Campus. I typed in the address in which I will be leaving from to go to the Mesa TC. It even tells me if I need to walk, take a short ride on the bus, stuff like that. In this case, it wants me to WALK to the transit center. So far, so good---as I do that almost every morning so that's a plus for Google Transit.

Now---the only two buses that can take me from there to downtown without any transfers to another bus are the 52 and the 77. It tells me to take the 77. SMART CHOICE! That's another plus for Google Transit.

Now comes the flaw. Once in downtown, it wants me to transfer to the 5, get off on Elgin @ Crawford and walk the rest of the way. WRONG! It should of told me that I can either get off on Fannin @ Prairie and catch METRORail to the Ensemble/HCC Station or maybe even get off at the Downtown Transit Center and catch the train to HCC. Once at the Ensemble/HCC Station, I can either walk or take a short ride on the 42 as it (and the 11=>board at the Downtown Transit Center; same stop as the southbound 77/MLK) can drop you off at the corner of Holman @ Austin.

On that note, METRO needs to do some more tweaking with this.

JLN,

You may need to try your problem again. I just checked with what you posted (for example) and it works for me. For what you put, you can catch the 81 bus.