mbta bus locations in real-er time

[jeffkaufman]

The mbta makes it's buses visible through the nextbus website, where you can see buses in almost real time:

nextbus view of bus 1 (http://www.nextbus.com/googleMap/googleMap.jsp?a=mbta&r=1)

What's annoying about this is that they show the bus at being at it's last reported location, which is generally 15 to 100 seconds out of date. I wrote a version that tries to give better predictions and moves the bus as you watch:

my view of bus 1 (http://mbtaplot.appspot.com/?route=1)

What do you think? Suggestions?

(To see other routes, either change the url or use the route chooser (http://mbtaplot.appspot.com) page)

[vanshnookenraggen]

Dude that is really cool. I guess next steps would be to turn it into an iPhone app.

[statler]

Wow. Really, really well done.

[HenryAlan]

Dude that is really cool. I guess next steps would be to turn it into an iPhone app.

And WebOS, Android, BB OS, etc.

[jass]

I spy bunching (a 3 bus caravan)

[jeffkaufman]

I spy bunching (a 3 bus caravan)

I'm hoping that having the gps info for buses publicly available will push the mbta to actually do something about bunching.

[jeffkaufman]

And WebOS, Android, BB OS, etc.

That's the thing; writing for the browser is really nice because it ought to work on anything (though I have done zero testing on mobile apps or even tiny screens).

[gooseberry]

This is very cool.

Just clicking random routes, you really see how absurdly laided out they are . The 11 bus for example. Does anyone ride that?

[Ron Newman]

I've ridden the 11. Why do you ask? (If I want to get to the east end of Southie, I'll take whatever route is leaving at the time I need -- 7, 9, 10, or 11)

[Corey]

That's very neat. I would love to have something like this for my daily commute in Portland where there is usually an hour wait if you miss your bus.

[gooseberry]

I've ridden the 11. Why do you ask? (If I want to get to the east end of Southie, I'll take whatever route is leaving at the time I need -- 7, 9, 10, or 11)
How long does it take to get across Southie on that?

[choo]

there are apps already. Pocketmbta is only 99cents and does this great. There are others that are more expensive. I use it all the time. Its great to be in the backbay and say should i take the 1 or walk, and you can see if its right around the corner. Best thing the mbta has done. they deserve kudos for this.

[saulblum]

there are apps already. Pocketmbta is only 99cents and does this great. There are others that are more expensive. I use it all the time. Its great to be in the backbay and say should i take the 1 or walk, and you can see if its right around the corner. Best thing the mbta has done. they deserve kudos for this.

I agree. I've been using Pocket MBTA and Catch the Bus, as well as the nextbus.com site. Makes riding the bus so much better to not have to wait outside endlessly not knowing when the bus is going to show up. Definitely the best thing the T has done lately.

[HenryAlan]

That's the thing; writing for the browser is really nice because it ought to work on anything (though I have done zero testing on mobile apps or even tiny screens).

I agree, I was mostly pointing out to Van that if a developer goes the app route, there is more to that than just the world of iPhone.

I tested your site on my phone this morning, and the map with the routes works great. I did find the route selection a bit awkward on the small screen, but I very much appreciated the ability to select more than a single route. Do you have any plans to add a way to view arrival times on a selected stop?

[HenryAlan]

I agree. I've been using Pocket MBTA and Catch the Bus, as well as the nextbus.com site. Makes riding the bus so much better to not have to wait outside endlessly not knowing when the bus is going to show up. Definitely the best thing the T has done lately.

Yep, it's great for me when I take the bus in the morning. I have the option of walking half a block to a stop served by three lines, or walking three blocks to a stop served by 9. If I know there is no bus coming on the three closer lines, I'll walk the extra 2.5 blocks, now I always know which choice to make.

[jeffkaufman]

I tested your site on my phone this morning, and the map with the routes works great. I did find the route selection a bit awkward on the small screen, but I very much appreciated the ability to select more than a single route.


Thanks for testing it! I just put up a new version which shrinks the padding between route selectors a little, which ought to be a little less awkward on a small screen.

Really, though, I'm not that happy with my --- or anyone else's --- route selector. All of them work by selecting from a list of route numbers. Most people only care about buses in a small area, and many don't know route numbers (except for a few routes). I think something where you can choose routes entirely visually would be nice. I need to think about how to do it in a way that doesn't swamp the browser though: just drawing all routes at once takes about 5 minutes.


Do you have any plans to add a way to view arrival times on a selected stop?

I should add that. It wouldn't be too tricky.

[jeffkaufman]

Do you have any plans to add a way to view arrival times on a selected stop?

I should add that. It wouldn't be too tricky.

This should be active now. Click on a stop, see predicted arrivals.

[jeffkaufman]

I've added subways now:

Red, Orange, Blue (http://mbtaplot.appspot.com/?routes=Red,Orange,Blue)

The MBTA has still not released green line data

[found5dollar]

Aparently Subway in station countdowns are coming this year.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/26349100/detail.html

[jeffkaufman]

Subway countdowns would be great, especially at stations with no wireless coverage.

[czsz]

About time. Even better if they put the displays outside as well, since it doesn't help all that much if you've already paid and are waiting in the station.

The other changes mentioned in that video sound positive as well - quiet cars on commuter rail and problem-spotting via customer photos. They've come a long way since detaining and questioning anyone who takes a photo underground...

[jeffkaufman]

Displays put wherever I'd be making a choice would be best. At porter, I might be choosing between the red line and the 77/83/96, and I'd be making that choice right in front of the station, before going downstairs. So that's where I'd like to see countdown signs. And ideally ones that showed both bus and subway counts together. If I can mix those in my little webapp the mbta ought to be able to as well (though I suspect they won't).

[jass]

Considering the existing displays have been able to show countdowns since day 1...

About freaking time. The last GM said they could but nobody wanted it.

Heres one way it would really help me:

Outside Harvard Station, I want to get home. Do I:

a) Chill for a bit, maybe grab something to drink
b) Run for the alewife train
c) Run for the 77

???

DC announced they will start putting screens like this outside stations soon. The idea is great. I would change the design a bit (text is too small, lots of dead space), but something like this could save a lot of waiting time.

http://images.greatergreaterwashington.org/images/201012/ddotscreen.jpg

^^^^BUS^^^^ ^^^^BIKES^^^^^^ ^^^^METRO^^^^^^

Larger:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/herrvebah/5277895187/

[erikyow]

Nobody wants subway countdowns? Really? Is it that or that people will actually know how bad MBTA headways are when the numbers are staring them right in the face?

[jeffkaufman]

Nobody wants subway countdowns?

The GM might have meant that people wanted other things more in some survey or something.

[ant8904]

I guess a system that transport people fast and doesn't break down from every possible reason including nice and sunny days would be higher on the list, but that GM wasn't getting that done either.

[Shepard]

I assume many of you have heard by now that google maps has integrated the real time bus and subway data - click on bus or heavy rail stops in Boston and it will show live arrival times for upcoming trains and buses. I think the only other US city that google is piloting this with is SF.

[Lurker]

Now if only the Wall Corporation could partner with Google to replace their fixed public map displays with smart touchscreens displaying all this information.

[JohnAKeith]

Lurker, love that idea. They could do it much cheaper if they just add QR (bar) codes to each stop and get people to use them to link to Google / other sites that display "next bus" information.

[statler]

The idea is to get the information to people who don't have smartphones, so a QR code won't work.