editor Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 This press release arrived today: LET METRO REAL TIME T.R.I.P. APP EASE YOUR COMMUTETECHNOLOGY PUTS TRANSIT & ROUTE INFORMATION AT CUSTOMERS’ FINGERTIPS Pull out your smartphone and get ready to ride with METRO’s new T.R.I.P. (Transit Route Information & Planning) application! The new technology, bundled into one convenient download, retrieves METRO schedule information, predicts arrival time of buses, and helps you better plan trips aboard METRO’s entire transit system. The just unveiled features include: •Where Am I? Uses the GPS in your phone to pinpoint bus routes and rail lines close to your location. •Next Transport Gives information on scheduled and ‘real time’ bus arrivals as well as scheduled rail arrivals. •Plan My Trip This piece of the technology will find a convenient route for your trip based on arrival time, transfers, and/or walking distance – which helps get you to your destination quickly and easily. “This is just the beginning of our smart phone technology push to make it easier for passengers to plan for and take trips with METRO,” said METRO Chairman Gilbert Garcia. “We want more people to use the system, this is another way we are showing our commitment to doing just that.” Randy Frazier, METRO VP and Chief Information Officer, oversaw development of the new application and notes, “Our testing shows riders can count on the METRO TRIP App to accurately predict arrival of the next bus to within three minutes. We expect to continue work on this app to expand its uses and reliability." T.R.I.P. information is displayed on kiosks at Downtown Transit Center & City of Houston Visitor Center. The application is available as a free download at Apple, Android and Microsoft stores as well as on METRO’s ridemetro.org. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Been using it for a few weeks. The real time bus data is invaluable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 By real time do you mean that they have GPS units on busses now with estimated arrival times at a specific stop? Or is it just the same as the PDF schedule that you can get on Metro's website with some location based information? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 They have GPS on all buses and have for years. The new radio system allows each vehicle's position to be relayed to dispatch every 30 seconds. There are sometimes issues with that relay in which case the app shows schedule information but in most cases it has real time info. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 Wow that's awesome. How long has it been that the public have had access to the realtime info? Just since the app launched or has it been online? I don't ride the bus that often (I usually stick with the rail) but for the times I do this is great to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 I think it might be just the app and the screens at Downtown TC right now. Not sure what the plans are for releasing that feed to the public. The app has been out for a number of months but this is the first announcement since it had a number of bugs to fix and refinements to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 I think it might be just the app and the screens at Downtown TC right now. Not sure what the plans are for releasing that feed to the public. The app has been out for a number of months but this is the first announcement since it had a number of bugs to fix and refinements to make. What feed? Real time bus data is available in the app for at least the past couple weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 I mean the data feed that supplies that info to the app. Sometimes agencies make it available so third-party developers can create their own apps and whatnot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 Just answered my own question. See "developer portal." http://ridemetro.org/RiderTools/Default.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I don't think it works very well. Just now I was using it to see the next bus arrival time for the 25. I was at the bus stop and it said "scheduled: 5 min". I waited for the timer to tick down to 1 min then I checked again and it said "real time: 35 min". I was thinking I must have missed the bus. It must have come early and the scheduled time didn't know that and the real time value didn't update until the bus passed. So I started walking to wheeler and a block later the 25 comes speeding by. So the schedule didn't work and the real time value didn't either. Has anybody had better luck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I don't think it works very well. Just now I was using it to see the next bus arrival time for the 25. I was at the bus stop and it said "scheduled: 5 min". I waited for the timer to tick down to 1 min then I checked again and it said "real time: 35 min". I was thinking I must have missed the bus. It must have come early and the scheduled time didn't know that and the real time value didn't update until the bus passed. So I started walking to wheeler and a block later the 25 comes speeding by. So the schedule didn't work and the real time value didn't either. Has anybody had better luck? Ignore scheduled time entirely. Metro does a terrible job of matching to the stated timetable. Real Time is the valuable part, that tells you how far away the bus actually is. Strange about the bus coming by, though. I think they have said that not all buses are equipped yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skwatra Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Ignore scheduled time entirely. Metro does a terrible job of matching to the stated timetable. Real Time is the valuable part, that tells you how far away the bus actually is. Strange about the bus coming by, though. I think they have said that not all buses are equipped yet. If the bus is not equipped, i would think the 'Real Time' shouldn't show an estimate right?I'll have to check this out, though I don't take the bus often when i do this would be really handy since they are never on their published schedules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 If the bus is not equipped, i would think the 'Real Time' shouldn't show an estimate right?I'll have to check this out, though I don't take the bus often when i do this would be really handy since they are never on their published schedules. The Real Time estimate is a different bus, which is why it was still 35 minutes away (the next bus to come by on the route). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Tried the app today. Seems that all the buses don't have GPS on them, but the ones that do are accurate. Only problem is the GPS isn't that good, you have to click where are you first, and then click the second button to see what buses are around you. If it says realtime, that means the bus has GPS, if it says scheduled time, it doesn't.Tried the app today. Seems that all the buses don't have GPS on them, but the ones that do are accurate. Only problem is the GPS isn't that good, you have to click where are you first, and then click the second button to see what buses are around you. If it says realtime, that means the bus has GPS, if it says scheduled time, it doesn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 I agree that Metro does a horrible job of keeping to their schedules. As it is now, the app isn't all that useful because any day I want to take the bus, I don't know ahead of time whether the next bus will have GPS or not. If it does, the app seems to work ok, but if it doesn't then I have no idea if it's going to be 10 minutes late or 10 minutes early. Luckily I live in a spot where I can either walk to Wheeler station (10 minute walk) or take the 25 bus instead of walking. Sometimes on really hot days I'd rather take the bus than walk and that's when I'd like to use the app. On other days if the bus isn't there when I walk by the stop I just keep going to the light rail station. Anyways, I'm looking forward to the day when this app can help me decide if it's worth waiting for the next bus or if I should forget about the bus and walk instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 All buses have GPS, but sometimes there's a problem in the series of relays that get that info to the app. That's when "scheduled" times are shown. Drivers aren't permitted to run early and usually run 0-5 minutes late, so when it has scheduled information that's usually what you can expect. In the instance you cite, Jax, the bus dropped off your screen at the time it was scheduled to pass because the app only had schedule information. Sure enough, it was running between 0 and 5 minutes late ("on time" is defined by Metro as 0 minutes early and less than 6 minutes late). Once the app thought the first bus had passed it displayed the next trip, for which it had real time info and told you accordingly. Obviously the app is not perfect but it's still a huge step forward. I understand they continue to work to get real time info working for every bus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.