Subscribe to RSS441 Cities Late But At Last We Get Google
TRANSIT: A handy Google service
Tonight, ARTA has at last joined the real world and followed 440 cities in 35 countries - like Wellington- in joining with Google Maps to enable us to access public transport information and directions using Google Transit, a feature of Google Maps.
I pushed for this back in September saying Wellington had beaten us and we needed to catch up fast!
If you’re searching for directions in Auckland on Google Maps, you’ll have the extra option to view public transit options. Initially, the service will extend to the comprehensive network of bus services throughout the Auckland region, however in the coming months train and ferry information will also be added to the service.
For train users, it can’t come soon enough and it’s disappointing we still haver to wait a little.
The service provides a link through to maxx.co.nz where people can find out more details about fares and schedules.
The way the system will work is that, in areas where transit data was available, public transit directions will appear as an addition to driving directions. Bus stop and shortly train station and ferry icons will appear on Google Maps at http://maps.google.co.nz, offering people more choice in respect of their transport options. Google says its Google Transit gives commuters the option of specifying the date and time (either the time you would like to depart or the time you’d like to arrive) of their trips.
Commuters are provided with up to three options and the details of each, so that they can choose the route most convenient for them. There is also a link to easily access directions for the return trip.
How to get bus schedules?
- Visit http://maps.google.co.nz
- Click “Get Directions”
- Enter your start and end points (it’s okay if it says “by car”) and click the “Get Directions” button
- Click on the “Public Transit” link above your itinerary 5) View times, bus numbers, and routes
Or you can directly get public transit directions from http://www.google.co.nz/transit
9 Comments
Now if they can just update the map to reflect the Auckland railway station’s move to Britomart from the Strand all those years ago…
I’ve had a try on it. Very interesting the way it schedules trips. Will have much better potential combined with an integrated ticket. The trip I tried had me changing in Newmarket from H&E to a Metrolink bus which turned out to be much more convenient for where I wanted to leave from than I would’ve been able to do just with a single operator all the way.
Yeah I’ve noticed the “Auckland-Britomart” train station logo has been floating around near Khyber pass road for a while.
Excellent, I shall have look-see tonight…
Does anyone know if the GTFS feed is going to be publicly available for us to do useful stuff with?
Shows at least one bus as flying over buildings instead of following streets, therefore not giving perfect directions:
http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Ronayne+St,+Auckland,+1010&daddr=St+Albans+Ave,+Auckland,+1024&hl=en&geocode=FXK5zf0d69pqCimz1DrOB0gNbTEBJRb8ycEeBg%3BFX43zf0dWGtqCinVeh-9TEYNbTE0wcXQ_j0iSQ&mra=ls&dirflg=r&date=15%2F12%2F09&time=16:11&ttype=dep&noexp=0&noal=0&sort=&tline=&sll=-36.86424,174.760723&sspn=0.067159,0.154324&ie=UTF8&ll=-36.848393,174.778275&spn=0.008397,0.01929&z=16&start=0
I’d catch the first bus from further up Anzac Ave if doing this trip.
I think that straight line between 2 points means there are no stops (express). The line touches the street where the bus has registered stops. Try the Airbus for an example.
The bus stop locations are stunningly accurate. If you zoom in to the bus stop marker on the satelite photo,the marker is always near the front of the painted yellow lines, exactly where the front doors of the bus would be. Amazing.
Yes the routes can be a bit funny since they to break the line only at bus stops. I wonder if they will bother adding more waypoints to smooth out the routes.
A crazy example I know of is the Bayswater Express — it’s shown as going across the middle of harbour! Or has North Star managed to make a bus that can morph into a ferry?