All comments posted by users on the Greater Greater Washington post "Metro endorses openness for schedule data" http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/ en-us http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-18203 I got the answer to Alvira's question listed above. Turns out WMATA was delayed in updating the rules for how much people pay for transferring from PG County buses. The problem has been fixed and people transferring from the $1.00 PG County bus to the $1.25 Metrobus using a Smartrip card will only pay $0.25 for the transfer. I verified through a friend that people that ride a bus, then a train, then a bus will not have to pay anything to ride the second bus, it's considered a bus transfer. http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-18203 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:09:21 EDT http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-16275 So many possibilities! WMATA's trip planner just isn't user-friendly, linked, or linkable... plain and simple. Imagine you're a local business or museum. You could host an embedded Google map on your website with your address as the default destination and visitors can simply enter their starting point and find directions by car, foot, or transit. You've got a 20-minute wait between buses... you can use Google maps to search for cafes or shops nearby your stop to kill time. My biggest frustration with WMATA's trip planner is that it doesn't provide an overview or anything visual. I'll get a result telling me that I need to take 3 different buses, but 20 minutes later (after downloading each PDF and entering different starting addresses) I realize I can take 1 bus if I walk 2 extra blocks. With an overview -- like what Google provides -- you can see your options. Maybe I'll walk the extra 3 blocks and skip the first bus, then take a 5 minute taxi instead of the 3rd bus... WMATA doesn't show you your options (and the PDF system map is nearly useless -- ever heard of hyperlinks?) and I, for one, often find myself deciding that I'll just drive or take a taxi the whole way. With GPS on the iPhone, I could open Google maps and figure out how to get anywhere in the city at any time. I'd take transit SO MUCH MORE OFTEN if it were easier to navigate. Google may not be perfect, but WMATA is a lot further from perfect now than Google would be. I've been writing Metro for the past year since I fist encountered Google Transit -- we're so close! http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-16275 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 12:40:43 EDT http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-16028 Problem with technology accuracy????? Google has provide this service with other transit agencies. Why should this be a problem? Would it be that this will show that WMATA's system itself has major problems? Would not using Google help visitors who now use Google Transit on their hometown system? Bob http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-16028 Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:20:21 EDT http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-16001 ... aaand they're already on eBay for $40 "buy it now". Sweet. http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-16001 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:17:45 EDT http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-15998 By the way, Obama commemorative cards are now available. There's only going to be 35,000 of these, so they'll probably be gone soon after it hits the real media. DCist has the story: http://dcist.com/2008/12/22/all_the_smartrip_news_you_can_use.php http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-15998 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:54:09 EDT http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-15997 Alvira, could you please email me more information about this at michaelp@ggwash.org? I'll call Metro as well as PG County transit to see what's up. What I think you're saying is that you ride like this: The Bus -> Metrorail -> Metrobus and for the metrobus portion of your journey you're being charged $0.50. Is that right? http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-15997 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:43:42 EDT http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-15994 Not sure if this is the place to gripe about this but so far Metro has not been very helpful. When it comes to accuracy the Smart Trip system is overcharging PG County "The Bus" riders when they transfer from the rail to MetroBus. I've complained 4 times and gotten nowhere fast. The response has ranged from arrogance to denial. This is what happens -- if a rider catches the PG County Bus, then rides the rail, and transfers to a MetroBus they instead of the normal rail to bus transfer rate of 35 cents they are charged 50 cents. At first they said it was because riders had to pay the difference between the two systems, period. It did not matter that you were transfering from rail to bus. On October 26th "The Bus" fare went up to $1.00. Based on Metro's initial statement anyone that caught PG County The Bus first should now pay 25 cent. Wrong. Riders still pay 50 cent. Metro's response. Not their fault The Bus decided to go up to a dollar, they're not acknowledging it. So now riders are paying $1.50 to ride. Can you please investigate this? With riders being forced to use Smart Trip there should be better accuracy and accountability. http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-15994 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:44:37 EDT http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-15977 The concern about accuracy is made a little funny by all of the errors on Metro's official map. Take a close look at either the route map with street addresses of stations (the one in stations and trains) or the neighborhood maps. Riddled with typographical and spelling errors. http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-15977 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:27:25 EDT http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-15975 their worried about Google affecting their brand image? why don't they let Google do the software engineering and focus on things that really affect their image like, say, running buses somewhere close to on time? http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-15975 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:17:05 EDT http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-15973 This is good news, Dave. But the question remains... how long do you think it will take before it could ACTUALLY get implemented? http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1523/metro-endorses-openness-for-schedule-data/#comment-15973 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 07:53:07 EDT