Comments on: Metro should get on the Google Transit train already

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:11:21 +0000

Google maps with GPS related info as to where the buses / trains are on the transit lines in real time would be even better.

By: Siel

Siel — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:27:46 +0000

I’ll try to get in touch with Metro tomorrow to see if there’s still internal dialogue going on about this in the agency (and why things’re taking so long) –

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:38:26 +0000

I completely agree that Metro needs to get on board with Google Transit or at least take the steps to make trip planning easier to use and more efficient than it is now.

Maybe getting an online petition or group together to get the ball rolling would help? Not sure the best way to approach the problem, but something needs to be done.

By: Siel

Siel — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:56:40 +0000

Chris — You can email Metro — customerrelations@metro.net — or try contacing Metro Board Members. Contacting Metro’s Citizens Advisory Council might also be helpful –

Another idea would be to get involved with and try to get a pro-public transit group — SoCaTa or The Transit Coalition, for ex — to make this a priority in their agenda –

Anyone else have ideas on how best to push this issue with the Metro?

Wad — I should’ve more accurately said Metro has a monopoly on web trip planning apps with metro schedule info :)

By: Wad

Wad — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:13:29 +0000

Metro does not have a monopoly on scheduling info. For one thing, schedule data are copyright-proof. I also used to put up Metro and other schedules for SoCal transit agencies, and never had trouble from it or anyone else.

Unfortunately, only Metro can enter its data into Google Transit. If you look at the API specs, you’ll see that it requires very involved coding for every stop in the system. Google also requires access to the agency’s stop and schedule database to automatically upload info.

It also requires an agreement between the agency and Google.

Sadly, this doesn’t offer an opportunity to open-source the project.

And with Google Transit, there’s no point in reviving an open-source schedule effort.

By the way, Metro is looking like a jackass for holding out on Google Transit. If Metro were to research what exactly it would gain through Internet ads, it would realize the revenue would be such a pittance that it might not even be enough to cover the salary of an account executive. Ad revenues, especially online, are not particularly lucrative.

By: Righteous Metal Broad

Righteous Metal Broad — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 01:29:20 +0000

Metro does suck, and not just for the reason you stated. It seems now that every time I use the trip planner search function, nothing comes up for me. When I first decided I wanted to visit Los Angeles Flying Pigeon, I entered in my address and the bike shop’s address and was told there was no bus route information available for the trip that I was planning. I had to open up google maps and explore the different buses and rail lines on metro.com to figure out how I was going to get from the San Fernando Valley to Highland Park. I found a great route (Orange Line –> Red Line –> Gold Line) but the time that it took looking up different lines and mapping out everything… oy vey…

yeah metro.net sucks. I do believe the last time the trip planner turned up something for me was about a year ago. Even then, if I took as many buses as they suggested, I would have spent more time on the bus, waiting for the bus, and paying for the bus. When in reality, all I had to take was ONE BUS (to hollywood).

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:23:17 +0000

Is there anything we can do about it?

Google transit for metro would be beneficial for the consumer (much easier to take the bus somewhere) and would increase ridership as well.

Frustrating that they just don’t seem to get it.