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May 9, 2007
ODOT Trip Check Adds Transit Data
ODOT's Trip Check web site has added a section on Transit providers. The announcement follows. Here's a deep link to the relevant section of Trip Check.
ODOT adds public transit information to TripCheck.com
Find transportation options online
MAY 1, 2007 – The Oregon Department of Transportation’s award-winning travel information Web site, www.TripCheck.com, just added another useful trip-planning tool. In addition to news on the latest road and traffic conditions, now users can find extensive public transit information by clicking on the Transportation Options tab.
“Visitors to the Web site can find local, regional and statewide transportation services including maps as well as links to routes and schedules with just a few clicks of a mouse,” ODOT Intercity Program Manager Matthew Barnes said. “The site is really easy to use. Select the travel area or starting and destination cities, then select any accommodations you require.”
TripCheck.com’s Transportation Options tab includes several different ways to search for information including:
- City or county – allows users to search for transportation options within a specific city or county. Users can refine the search with filters for wheelchair accessibility, bicycle transport, service days and by travel mode, such as bus, train and taxi.
- City to city – allows users to search for intercity public transit connections. Services can be filtered by wheelchair or bicycle accommodations. General information about local transportation providers, including contact information and Web site, is also available.
- Special accommodations – allows users to find transit service that accommodate various mobility devices, provide door to door or curb to curb service, or other specialized services.
“TripCheck.com’s Transportation Options tab represents a distinct step forward in the availability of Oregon transit information,” said Barnes.
Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM
Comments
May 9, 2007 12:55 PM
Garlynn - http://undergroundscience.blogspot.com Says:
Huh. This is a good first step.
Will the next step be to create a statewide point-to-point transit trip planner?
I don't want to have to dig through all those arcane schedules and routemaps and farecharts.
I want a computer application to do it all for me, tell me where to walk, what bus to catch, what train to transfer to, when, where, and how much to pay.
May 9, 2007 2:23 PM
Chris Smith Says:
I suspect Google will be the application provider and the agencies will just need to make their schedules available in a standardized data format.
May 9, 2007 5:51 PM
Garlynn - http://undergroundscience.blogspot.com Says:
Well, that's an interesting possibility.
I think I just had my mind expanded a bit.
You mean, eventually Google will allow you to use this transit trip planner *everywhere*, to plan *any* trip on transit, just like their car trip planner will allow you to generate directions for any drive?
In that case, it wouldn't just be for Oregon, it'd be for the entire U.S.
What a nightmare it would be to maintain all that transit data, though....
*shudder*
All of those signups, schedule and fare changes, etc....
wow.
May 9, 2007 5:53 PM
Chris Smith Says:
Yes, Google's vision is to get you from any point A on the planet to any point B.
Can't fault them for having small vision :-)
May 9, 2007 10:10 PM
Jason McHuff Says:
It does seem to be more comprehensive than the other transit lists that they've had. I like how they list "target audiences". I'm not sure I like how they have duplicate entries for providers with different names (e.g. "BTS" and "Basin Transit"). Also, it would be neat to see all of the providers shown on a static statewide map.
