Comments on: Google Transit Mapping Comes to New York http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/09/23/google-transit-mapping-comes-to-new-york/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:07:22 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Ian Turner http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/09/23/google-transit-mapping-comes-to-new-york/comment-page-1/#comment-56680 Ian Turner Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:36:38 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=4623#comment-56680 There is not a lot of extra value to google maps' online offering, but the ability to use GPS or triangulation on Maps for Mobile is huge. My company gave me a blackberry 8800 (w/ GPS) recently, and I've found myself using it a lot whenever I go to a new part of town, even just on foot. As all of the trip planning services have discovered, the main issue is getting data from transit agencies and in keeping it current. Ridiculously, Onnyturf ended up having to sue the LIRR in order to get a hold of their timetable database. Trips123 lists some 3 dozen, and there are lots more suburban services (such as Rockland Coaches) that are not available electronically from anyone. There is not a lot of extra value to google maps' online offering, but the ability to use GPS or triangulation on Maps for Mobile is huge. My company gave me a blackberry 8800 (w/ GPS) recently, and I've found myself using it a lot whenever I go to a new part of town, even just on foot.

As all of the trip planning services have discovered, the main issue is getting data from transit agencies and in keeping it current. Ridiculously, Onnyturf ended up having to sue the LIRR in order to get a hold of their timetable database. Trips123 lists some 3 dozen, and there are lots more suburban services (such as Rockland Coaches) that are not available electronically from anyone.

]]> By: Boris http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/09/23/google-transit-mapping-comes-to-new-york/comment-page-1/#comment-56679 Boris Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:24:22 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=4623#comment-56679 It turns out it takes less than an hour to get from Penn Station to JFK using transit. I'm not sure I support the JFK-Downtown Link project any longer...the money would be better spent on helping those who don't live or work near Penn Station but still need to get to the airport every once in a while. Staten Island and south Brooklyn have vast numbers of people for whom the trip to JFK without a car is much longer than for those in Manhattan. It turns out it takes less than an hour to get from Penn Station to JFK using transit. I'm not sure I support the JFK-Downtown Link project any longer...the money would be better spent on helping those who don't live or work near Penn Station but still need to get to the airport every once in a while. Staten Island and south Brooklyn have vast numbers of people for whom the trip to JFK without a car is much longer than for those in Manhattan.

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