[DavidH]

Since Brampton Transit already have a very easy to use and very accurate trip planner on their own website, I would imagine the techies out there (of which I am not one ) should be able to link this information fairly easily to google.....no?

No.

I'm pretty sure that Google Transit requires that the transit provider provide the data, not some crowdsourced thing. Also, according to their partner program, they're not accepting new partners right now due to overwhelming demand; they're managing a waiting list. My guess is that GO has been waiting for some time.

 

[TOareaFan]

No.

I'm pretty sure that Google Transit requires that the transit provider provide the data, not some crowdsourced thing. Also, according to their partner program, they're not accepting new partners right now due to overwhelming demand; they're managing a waiting list. My guess is that GO has been waiting for some time.

Not sure I fully understand all of that (particularly "crowdsourced")...but if I get anything out of it, it is that GO/Metrolinx the agency that is supposed to be the the co-ordinating spine of a new regional vision of transit has gone onto google to offer it's route planning and is probably aware that the other agencies can't get on there so we have GO on google, BT on eRide Trip Planner.....who knows what the others are on and even on the web we can't seem to get our transit systems together! Perhaps it would have been better for GO to join with the other agencies and get route planning co-ordinated!

 

[DavidH]

Not sure I fully understand all of that (particularly "crowdsourced")...but if I get anything out of it, it is that GO/Metrolinx the agency that is supposed to be the the co-ordinating spine of a new regional vision of transit has gone onto google to offer it's route planning and is probably aware that the other agencies can't get on there so we have GO on google, BT on eRide Trip Planner.....who knows what the others are on and even on the web we can't seem to get our transit systems together! Perhaps it would have been better for GO to join with the other agencies and get route planning co-ordinated!

Crowdsourced just means that you get willing members of the public to do the work. Problem is, Google wants to know that the data is totally accurate so they want it to come from the transit provider, not someone else. For example, they would not accept TTC data from the myttc.ca folks.

Yes, GO/Metrolinx has gone onto Google. However, they are pushing other agencies to go there as well and information I've seen indicates that we should expect other local agencies to get there in the next year. That doesn't mean that they can't have their own planner on their own website, but Metrolinx is saying that they need to provide their data to Google. The goal here is to have a regional planner (as listed as a goal in the Metrolinx RTP document) so that you can plan a trip from anywhere to anywhere in the GTA, regardless of which systems you have to take to get there.

For many, this is NOT that big a deal given that most of them are using commercially-available transit planning software like Trapeze, so they've already got their route/schedule data in electronic form, and the vendors already have tools to export to Google. They just have to put the pieces together and get it done.

Right now, it's very possible that the holdup is at the Google end for some of these; Google says that they are not accepting new partners right now because they're having trouble keeping up with the ones they've got.

As for route planning, Metrolinx is pushing agencies to coordinate better but there is still a lot of work to be done there.

 

[TOareaFan]

Crowdsourced just means that you get willing members of the public to do the work. Problem is, Google wants to know that the data is totally accurate so they want it to come from the transit provider, not someone else. For example, they would not accept TTC data from the myttc.ca folks.

Thanks...had never heard that terminology. In the example, I gave, I assumed that Brampton Transit would just transfer the data from it's route planner to Google.

Yes, GO/Metrolinx has gone onto Google. However, they are pushing other agencies to go there as well and information I've seen indicates that we should expect other local agencies to get there in the next year. That doesn't mean that they can't have their own planner on their own website, but Metrolinx is saying that they need to provide their data to Google. The goal here is to have a regional planner (as listed as a goal in the Metrolinx RTP document) so that you can plan a trip from anywhere to anywhere in the GTA, regardless of which systems you have to take to get there.

I guess the point I was trying to make is that as the regional planning/co-ordinating body Metrolinx should have made sure that all of the regional authorities got onto Google at the same time. Then we would have an online trip planner that had all of the transit authorities. We would not have to, for example, go to BT's eRide system to plan how to get to Bramalea Go then switch to Google Transit to figure out how to get from there to Pickering!. If Google isn't/wasn't ready for all of the agencies at the same time, then GO should have just teamed up with one of the existing systems and brought it all together that way.

 

[DavidH]

Thanks...had never heard that terminology. In the example, I gave, I assumed that Brampton Transit would just transfer the data from it's route planner to Google.

Essentially. They have to convert formats and then make a feed available on a server that Google can update from.

I guess the point I was trying to make is that as the regional planning/co-ordinating body Metrolinx should have made sure that all of the regional authorities got onto Google at the same time. Then we would have an online trip planner that had all of the transit authorities. We would not have to, for example, go to BT's eRide system to plan how to get to Bramalea Go then switch to Google Transit to figure out how to get from there to Pickering!. If Google isn't/wasn't ready for all of the agencies at the same time, then GO should have just teamed up with one of the existing systems and brought it all together that way.

I don't know that expecting all of the agencies to do things at exactly the same time is reasonable, though. Each has their own projects underway and needs to find time to do things. The task is more work for some than others because some are further behind in their route planning methodologies - for example, DRT has only fairly recently moved their route planning onto Trapeze and out of - believe it or not - Excel spreadsheets. Prior to doing that, it would have been extremely difficult/impossible for DRT to provide and maintain a feed for Google.

Metrolinx is also not in a direct position to order the agencies, at least not without getting the Minister of Transportation to issue a policy statement. I think they have to do a lot of moral suasion on things like this. I also don't think that GO could have teamed up, because each of the agencies would need to provide its own feed. Sometimes there are cultural issues; it's only very recently that the City of Toronto has accepted that open data sources are actually a good thing.

I think it's just one of those things that has to be step-by-step. For now, this is a good planner for those who take GO, and that's how it will be (very soon) marketed by GO. In the longer term, Metrolinx will be in a position to market it as a regional planner.

 

[mpd618]

Word is that other agencies will come along later this year. I have heard from DRT staff that they are working on it.

Grand River Transit (Waterloo Region) should be on Google within a few months.

 

[DavidH]

GO now has a panel on their home page that allows for Google Transit search, and a link underneath it that gives some background information for users. It doesn't look terribly integrated, though.

 

[ShonTron]

Disappointing (so far) is that the GO bus stops are not marked yet on a simple Google Map, unlike York Region, OC Transpo, and others, where you can click on a bus stop and see the next 2-3 departures for each route, or click on a link for more detailed schedules.

 

[wyliepoon]

I tested Google Transit today for an afternoon trip between Union Station and my new place in Markham, which is within walking distance of the YRT shuttle bus from Unionville GO station. Strangely it recommended that I take Viva Pink from Unionville GO, then transfer to the Warden bus, and then transfer onto the shuttle bus. Obviously this is one of the kinks that need to be worked out.

 

[DSCToronto]

GO Schedules and Maps

GO are actually seeking input on the layout of their schedules!

Help us improve the look of our schedules

"Would you like to have a say in improving GO Transit schedules/timetables? We value your opinion and would like to make improvements to our timetables based on your feedback. Please spend a few minutes to take our survey." See: http://www.gotransit.com/publicroot/en/default.aspx

 

[ShonTron]

This is off topic now, but I did the survey. It appears that GO is trying to be rid of their printed schedules (I disagree strongly with this move). Also, I noted that their maps are garbage, not showing connections to other GO services, and do not show routes well at all. The Google maps are full of errors with stops in the wrong places and stations where not all trips or routes are available.

They asked to do two tasks - to find scheduled times for specific trips. I did both correctly, but with difficulties. If you select "connecting trip" link from the 407 West service, it brings you to the Lakeshore service, without even asking which corridor you wanted to link from (say, the 407 East, per chance).

 

[Dan416]

I really don't mind too much if they get rid of the printed schedules. They can leave them online if you need to print them. I wrote that they should make an iPhone app