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I feel like such an app could download the bus schedule and do this all offline (and let the user know it is simply an estimate) In fact, I really wish Google
by CamelCaseName 9y ago
I feel like such an app could download the bus schedule and do this all offline (and let the user know it is simply an estimate)
In fact, I really wish Google Maps did this, but I guess the damage of getting it wrong once is far greater than getting it right 100 times.
Phones are pretty powerful with huge storage. If you can compute directions offline, why not buses? Saving a map or route is tiny compared to the 64, 128, or 256 GB storage on most people's devices, surely bus schedules can't be that big.
- scaryclam 9y agoI think you may misunderstand. The bus company provides live information. This is not a schedule, so cannot be downloaded ahead of time.
- kevmo314 9y agoWhat if I just want the schedule though? It's not unusual that I'm underground (perhaps getting off a subway train) and don't have connection.
- dumbmatter 9y agoSome buses don't have schedules, just an estimated frequency. Or some have schedules but don't stick to them with any reliability.
- kevmo314 9y agoNot providing schedules because some buses don't have them seems like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
- true_religion 9y agoThe bus schedule is available on the bus company website. The only thing that app gives over that is what the schedule is now.
- boondaburrah 9y agoYou clearly haven't ridden the buses in Boston.
- mbrameld 9y agoThen download the schedule from the web site?
- kevmo314 9y agoSo... like a PWA?
- boondaburrah 9y agoThere should be paper schedules available in the station.
- _Tev 9y agoThe online search takes into account all short term schedule modifications. Considering how many such changes occur on almost daily basis, you would be quickly complaining about data usage from all those schedule updates. Or you would frequently get wrong route. Either way, a lot of complexity / resources spent on something trivially solved by the original solution (webpage).
- drewda 9y agoMany public transit agencies provide both static and real-time data. - static data often is sharing using the "GTFS" specification, which includes stop locations, route geometries, scheduled trips, etc. See http://gtfs.org/ http://gtfs.org/ - real-time data is shared using a variety of specifications, and typically includes vehicle locations, service alerts, and other notifications from the agency The static kind of data can certainly be cached for local use. Try browsing and downloading some from the Transitland open transit data platform and its API: https://transit.land https://transit.land
- troelsSteegin 9y agothe app is in leveraging the rider's actual experience ... each time the rider rides the bus, she records the time of arrival - eg takes a photo of the bus - and builds a record of actual arrival times. the app makes predictions about when the bus will come.