ITA Software, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, develops software for the travel and airline industry.

The web source provides precise information about the time in a definite place. Eastern Time, time in Edinburgh, Dublin, Bern, Rome, Los Angeles, New York, etc. - Read more

We rank the best travel & map software with side-by-side comparisons. Read in-

TransitDataFeeder: open source web-based GTFS creation and maintenance tool

Roughly one month ago, the source code for TransitDataFeeder was released. TransitDataFeeder is an open source web-based application for creating and maintaining data in the General Transit Feed Specification. The software aims to offer equivalent functionality to what Trillium already … Continue reading →

Streetfilms: A case for open data in transit

Streetfilms has put together an eloquent and persuasive case for making transportation data more open. It is just over 6 minutes long. Watch and enjoy. If you have time, check out some of their other inspiring films on the site.

A Case for Open Data in Transit from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Here’s from the filmmaker, Elizabeth Press:

Ever find yourself waiting for the next bus, not knowing when it will arrive? Think it would be great if you could check a subway countdown clock from the sidewalk? Or get arrival times on your phone? Giving transit riders better information can make ridng the bus or the train more convenient and appealing. And transit agencies are finding that the easiest and least expensive way to do it is by opening data about routes, schedules, and real-time locations to software developers, instead of guarding it like a proprietary secret.

I recently got the chance to dive into the topic of open data in transit with my colleagues at OpenPlans. We went up to Boston to see what transit riders got out of the transportation department’s decision to open up its data. We also talked to New York MTA Chair Jay Walder, City Council Member Gale Brewer, Zipcar co-founder Robin Chase, and Transportation Alternatives director Paul Steely White to paint a full picture of what it would mean if cities shared their transit and transportation data. The information is there, waiting to be put to use to help people plan transit trips, waste less gas driving, or make their streets safer.

Mapping transit frequency online

Jarrett Walker at humantransit.org makes the case for frequent transit network maps. If you look at almost any street map, a map designed for motorists or to give people a general sense of the shape of the city, you’ll see … Continue reading →

Common standards are key for more succesful online rideshare programs (Climate Change Business Journal)

I was interviewed for the Climate Change Business Journal‘s Transportation Edition.  Here’s an excerpt discussing the online ridematching space and what drives successful programs and companies in that space.

Indeed, using information technology to facilitate ridesharing and transit usage appears to be a growing business that can make these low-carbon travel modes more convenient and attractive. “We’ve see an evolution in the technology,” said Aaron Antrim, president of Trillium Transit Solutions (Portland, Ore.), a three-per- son IT consulting firm that specializes in helping small- and medium-sized transit districts migrate their routes and schedules to Google Transit, the trip planner integrated in Google Maps that currently includes data for over 120 U.S. transit agencies.

“At first the iPhone could only plan driving trips, now it plans driving, transit and walking trips,” said Antrim. “Google Maps now includes biking directions, although that hasn’t shown up on the iPhone yet…. I think in the future mobile devices are going to become more and more powerful and useful for finding and comparing travel options, including transit, carpooling, walking, car-share, taxi, all the options, and compare them by cost and even greenhouse gas impact,” said Antrim. “Multimodal trip planning is going to be a killer app on mobile devices.”

Firms like Avego (Kinsale, Ireland) and Goose Networks (Seattle) are marketing web-enabled ride-matching and commute management programs. Avego sells a system that incentivizes drivers to pick up passengers along their route because passengers pay a per-mile fee to defray costs. Goose Networks sells software and services to organizations that want to measure and report the impact of their members commute activities.

There are many regional ridesharing and car/vanpooling websites and ser- vices such as San Luis Obispo County’s iRideshare.org, Rideshare.com which sells monthly vanpool commuting packages ($139 a month for a 50-mile roundtrip) in the Northeast and Zimride.com which is focused on college students.  And many people use Facebook or Twitter to find and share rides.

“There are many many different websites and companies out there, but few are really working because they’re not getting a critical mass of users,” said Antrim. “What successful companies like Goose Networks and Zimride have found is that they have to target a group of people with similar travel behavior, corporate campuses or educational institutions being the most common. They also need an external incentive or promotional program to sell the idea.” Antrim said the ridesharing business also needs a common data specification to allow potential users to find and compare their options from multiple services. “There are so many different sites and options that the user base is being divided up,” he said. “In fixed route transit, we have the General Transit Feed Specification for schedules, routes and fares. That doesn’t exist yet for carpooling.”

Human Transit email of the week: Should ridership data be online?

Quick apology: I’m very late posting on this because Trillium has had many projects going on.  Look for more regular blog posts over the summer, however.  [End excuses.]

A post from February 2010 on Human Transit by Jarrett Walker, one of the smartest blogs on public transportation out there, asks if, and how, public transportation ridership data should be presented online.

A contact at TriMet asks Jarrett,

There is an internal TriMet web site, accessible to all TriMet employees, including drivers and mechanics, that has a wealth of information, such as budgets, ridership, etc. While all of this could potentially be misinterpreted, it seems to me that it should all be available to the public in a section of the public web site. I shouldn’t have to feel sneaky when I provide you with extracts from this material.

Here, here.  Open schedule and arrival information benefits customers because it enables the development of new applications to navigate and use the system.  Opening ridership information would offer its own benefits:

• Better informed public participation in the transit planning process (Jarrett also points out one of the potential hurdles here — where a public insists on network designs that prioritize productivity strongly over transportation equity and meeting needs)
• Helping taxpayers assess and understand the value they are receiving from their transit investment
• Providing the raw data to fuel software innovation in the same way that open schedule and arrival data has enabled applications like Google Transit, PDXBus, iBART, WalkScore, and so many more.  Here’s an example of a visualization of transit systems by size.  If more data was available, it might be possible to zoom into these agencies to see a breakdown by routes, modes, etc.

For more discussion, see Jarrett’s post “Email of the week: Should ridership data be online?”

Dead Horse Times: Things that should be automated

Screenshot of iNap.

From EngineerScotty comes an idea for do-it-yourself automated stop announcements (ASA).  As a passenger, I find automated stop announcements quite helpful, as they are most often clearer, louder, and more consistently called than operator announcements.  Bus and train operators also appreciate ASA.  It is understandably difficult for them to pay attention to driving, traffic, and passengers and remember to call out regular announcements.

Even when there are automated announcements, I often use my iPhone to follow along a planned route to see where I need to pull the cord and get off the bus if I am unfamiliar with a city or transit route.  iNap is one application that develops this functionality.  It allows the user to set an alarm to be notified when their stop is near.

Since not every vehicle has ASA, EngineerScott ponders a hypothetical mobile application to call out the names of stops.  Drivers would plug their mobile device into the vehicle’s audio system.  I doubt there’s a sufficient market for this, however.  It would certainly present an interesting situation for agencies, with operators taking technology implementation into their own hands.

Read the full post, “Things that should be automated,” on the Dead Horse Times.

“Helping rural residents use Google Transit”

Sue Crowe, the project lead for the Trillium-completed Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study and Pilot Project, guest authored an article for the Reconnecting America blog, “Helping Rural Residents Use Google Transit”.

Transit trip planning in the rural areas of Northern California has become easier for many user groups as a result of the pilot implementation.  From Sue’s post:

“Trinity County has many recreational destinations,” a representative explained.  “Northern California visitors are now able to plan trips across this portion of California using multiple transit providers with ease.  This type of travel planning was once difficult, but is now simplified with Google Maps/Transit.”

Google Transit doesn’t just benefit the transit customer.  Social service agencies, caregivers, and those providing aid to someone can now Google transit information for their clients.  For the elderly who can no longer drive, Google transit information for bus stops and locations helps make it possible to  maintain a sense of independence.

The Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study and Pilot Project was a finalist for the 2010 California Transportation Foundation Tranny Awards.

Filling the gaps over the mountains and through the woods

I haven’t posted to the blog much recently because Trillium has been so busy preparing GTFS and adding agencies to Google Transit.  Recently, we’ve been part of filling many more of the gaps in Google Transit transit trip planner for the Pacific northwest.

Here are some examples of the longer intercity itineraries that can now be planned on Google Transit:

LAX to Big Bear, California, across L.A. Metro, Metrolink, and Mountain Area Regional Transit Authority (MARTA). MARTA is a Trillium client.

Corning, CA to Sunsanville, CA via Tehama Rural Area Express (TRAX) and Susanville Indian Rancheria Public Transportation Program. Both are Trillium clients.

Clatsop County, OR to Salem, OR via Sunset Empire Transportation District, Tillamook County Transportation District (TCTD), TriMet, and South Metro Area Regional Transit (SMART). TCTD and SMART are Trillium clients.

Crescent City, CA to Cottonwood CA via Redwood Coast Transit (RCT), Redwood Transit System (RTS), Trinity Transit, and Redding Area Bus Authority (RABA). All agencies are Trillium clients.

Biking directions added to Google Maps

Google added biking directions to maps.google.com on Wednesday.  The route planner considers bicycle facilities, topography, intersection quality, and traffic to plan directions.  Detailed bicycle infrastructure information (bike lanes, boulevards, etc.) is available for about 150 cities in the U.S.  I am already finding the feature enjoyable and useful for navigating Portland’s streets on my bike.

This will be tremendous for making biking infrastructure more visible.  Maps and online information are an important, and often overlooked component of the transportation system.

I’ve already received one phone call from a client asking how they can integrate their region’s bike lane data in Google Maps.  Google’s public announcements don’t offer a lot right now.  Near as I can read their answer is to say “stay tuned.”  Maybe a U.S. version of Map Maker will allow more data to be included down the line.

Here’s a screenshot of my bike route to work.

Around the web:

• Official Google Blog: Biking directions added to Google Maps
• Google LatLon: It’s time to bike
• Google Maps Bike There: Google Bike Directions are Now Live!

Simplifying the Open Transit Debate: White Paper

Mentor Engineering released a white paper “Simplifying the Open Transit Debate.”  For the curious, you can download a PDF, or read an HTML version.

The paper summarizes many of the benefits of open data — time saved, agency image benefits, improved customer service, ridership increase, and free application development.

It misses some important points though.  One is that open data facilitates greater and more successful innovation because it provides opportunity for low-cost (or free) failure.  Think of it this way: more developers = more projects/experiments/innovation = competition between them = successes and failures.  This idea is further developed in Thoughts on ‘Here Comes Everybody: The Power of organizing without organizations’.

Also, I wish the paper provided a more thorough and direct discussion of what they offer as an often cited disadvantage of open data:

The only negative some agencies see in providing their data to the public is the elimination of potential revenue from selling the data to developers. However, because the data is generated by taxpayer-funded agencies, the general consensus is that agencies should not profit from this data. Agencies that kept their data closed in hopes of selling it, such as New York City’s MTA—who recently released their data—have experienced extensive backlash from both the developer community and transit passengers.

Are there agencies that profit from selling their data?  I think a few may generate revenue from advertising on their websites.  However, this revenue is usually insignificant, and should be weighed against the benefits of open data.  3rd party applications and information sources may lead a few eyeballs away from the agency website and compromise ad revenue, but they are likely to support ridership and fare revenue growth.

Oh, and I was pleased an interview I conducted with TriMet’s CTO and IT Manager for GIS and Location Based Services was cited in a few places in the paper.