Hi all,

Well I just thought I would unveil the very very VERY beta version of a project I have been putting together for an gmaps powered interactive map of the Cincinnati metro bus system.  For those of you who have tried to use the SORTA website to figure out bus routes, you know how horrible it is.  I've been wanting to play with the google maps API for a long time, and this presented the perfect opportunity to put together something which will hopefully be useful.

 

Y'all can check it out here - http://www.cogitatio.net/cincymetro/

 

I only have a few bus routes in the database as of right now, but I have built an interactive tool to add routes and stops if anyone feels so inclined (PM me) - it takes about 45 minutes to add a route and all of its stops to the database.

 

To try out the app, you'll see a listing of routes on the left hand side of the page, if you check the box by a route, it will show up as an overlay on the map.  If you enter an address and a walking radius on the right side of the page, it will select and show all bus routes that have stops within that walking radius. 

 

Things that are coming - schedule information at each stop, commenting ability on routes and stops, and a pretty UI (I haven't styled the page up yet, its just in "get it working" mode)

 

Anyhow, take a look, and on a different note, come to the Cincy finance meeting on the streetcars today!

 

Cheers,

Christopher St. Pierre

Cool, nice work!  It seems that Google Maps mashups can be very useful for bus route maps, but it doesn't often seem that transit agencies are catching on to this.  (Admittedly I have not done much of a survey, though.)  Your map looks like it'll be great when the data gets in there.  I look forward to seeing it as more is added.

 

COTA in Columbus has a Google-based map that shows real-time bus locations (as far as I know it's one of a very few systems to have such a thing), but for some reason this fantastic tool is a bit buried in their website.  I couldn't find it just now, even knowing that it existed, without doing a google search, because I didn't know to click on "TransitPRO" (like that is supposed to mean something to me) on the COTA site.  To save anyone else the trouble: http://www.cota.com/realtime.asp

Real time bus info would be really nifty.  I will say I got some insight today into why this isn't used by SORTA.  Tis OK, this can work as a grassroots effort.  Hopefully I can get a really nice version working in relatively short order, just gotta get the bus route data in :)

Cool stuff...as you progress you should give a heads up to Metro and let them know what you have done.  I would think that they would be at least somewhat interested.

I just spoke with someone from Metro at the meeting and the after party today :)

 

Just added the 39 Route... Any requests for the next route?  I am sure to be bored in payment systems tomorrow!

Some new routes are up, the 69, the 24, the 31, and the 1 routes are now in the database. 

 

Does anyone who has read this thread have a favorite route that they ride regularly that they would like to have added?  I think most of my personal favorites are in right now...

41 knock out all the crosstowns

that destination radius thingy is really cool

Cool, I'll hit the 41 next.  The destination radius allows you to add multiple destinations too (ie where i am coming from and where i am going to)

 

Human thought is still required to figure out if there is an intersecting stop, but i will address that in the data once I get the all the routes in...  The things that are really annoying are like the 17 route which has 4 different destinations with different routes...

41 is up now... so what next?

TANK!!!  ;)

That's great!

Tank 2X

Tank it is... I'll see if I can't route that this afternoon

Add in the 47 which serves most of North Avondale if you can.

sure thing :)

 

Southbank TANK routes are in...  Probably do the TANK 2X to the airport next, then I will hit up the 47.

43 is probably the busiest route in the system.

 

78, 17 and 4 are probably next busiest.

 

From Mcmicken to liberty, RT 24 should be the second phase of the street car route up to MLK Then it should head west.  Cool maps!

Nice, those will come shortly thereafter then

 

But at that point I'll have to tweak the map to display the stop markers better...

 

The TANK 2X route is up now.  The 47 will likely go up tonight, or sometime shortly thereafter.  Then those last 3 that Brad suggested.

 

Now I can just point people to my website when they gripe that there is no public transit to the airport from Cincy area.  Its just two short bus trips from UC!