Google Transit for Tampa, FL.

Well, while I was digging around on [tag]HARTline[/tag], the local bus system’s website, I was offered a link to one of [tag]Google Labs[/tag]‘ projects.
It seems that one can now use the power of Google to plan out a bus trip here in [tag]Tampa, Florida[/tag].

It’s a rather useful tool. Just put in the two addresses or intersections nearest your destinations, choose a departure or arrival time, and Get Directions.

The service is laid atop [tag]Google Maps[/tag], and uses authoritative data from the Testing regions (there are a total of nine cities testing out Google Transit at this time) to show routes and scheduled times. They may or may not cover routes on detours, so be advised that this is only to be considered as a general guide on riding public transportation.

One of the nicest things about it is, although you are looking up bus routes in general, you can also switch it over to driving mode, should you choose to change your mind and drive or get a ride from point A to point B.

[tag]Google Transit[/tag] is the name of this new tool.
Hopefully, we’ll see more cities adopt it — I’d love to see PSTA jump on board, too.

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  1. Sindy’s avatar

    This actually sounds really cool! Our mass transit in America stinks, anything to make it more accessible (or understandable!) is a good thing.

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  2. Xial Lunashine’s avatar

    Sindy, it is pretty cool.
    Granted, it’s not foolproof (some of the walking paths make me laugh — one of them seems to hint that I would walk down Grey St to Cypress, which is physically impossible: I-275 is in the way, haha), but it does make planning the day by bus a fair bit easier, especially since I can plot by arrival time.

    I need to be somewhere by 9:50 am? Sure, it can schedule that. :)

    This is something that should have been rolled out in full force, years ago, and more cities need to improve on their Public Transit grids, as a result. It’s nearly impossible to travel on the weekends via bus here in Tampa. :P

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