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Good news for you iPhone-using riders of the 39 bus

By adamg on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 8:29am

Also for you 111, 114, 116 and 117 riders. Catch the Bus uses recently released real-time MBTA data for those routes to let you know when your bus is going to show up.

Topics: 
The T
Free tagging: 
buses
Route 39


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Comments

By anon on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 9:28am.

finally. blackberry next, please.

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By adamg on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 10:18am.

Here.

Caveat: It's raw XML, i.e., pretty useless just to look at, but something a developer can use to build applications. Still experimental. State transportation officials say they realized private developers could probably build useful applications faster than them (they also say they hope people will build apps for non-iPhone users).

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By anon2 on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 11:08am.

Just got a DROID, and DROID minded developers out there?

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By greenlinetobrooklyn on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 2:14pm.

When I get a DROID I'm gonna give it a go. That doesn't mean much though, haha

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By J on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 1:03pm.

Dont need an ap, you can just use this webpage

http://mbta-bus.appspot.com/

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By Eighthman on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 3:07pm.

Look at the lil' pins move!

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By cestvrai on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 1:31pm.

I'd love this for the 70, 70a, and 86 route. Just emailed MassDOT requesting them to apply this to all Boston routes, won't hold my breath though...

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By Lecil on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 1:51pm.

Is there any reason why all bus routes aren't covered? Do they not all have GPS, or do they have to code each route individually? (If the latter case, I'd expect the whole kit-n'-kaboodle to be up an running by the middle of next Tuesday.)

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By adamg on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 1:55pm.

It's a pilot project with whatever company provides the GPS service to the T now. If it works out, the T will have to put the whole thing out to bid.

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By J on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 2:26pm.

Of course, no explanation was given as to why the pilot program had to be limited to 5 routes. All buses have GPS, its how the stop announcements work.

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By adamg on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 2:35pm.

At the developer's conference where the state announced the release of the data:

Dempsey and MassDOT developer Josh Robin said today's release of real-time data for five bus routes is only year-long trial, but that the state wants to look at a more permanent solution - and for all of the MBTA's bus and rail lines. They explained the limited trial: There are legal and technical issues involved. When the T bought GPS units a few years ago, it didn't seek contracts that would let the data be used for public applications and the back-end software now in use can't be scaled to support requests for information on hundreds of buses and trains each day. Expanding the system to allow that would require a competitive bidding process for the hardware and software that would be required.

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By J on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 7:26pm.

I stand corrected then.

Here's hoping the "year long pilot" is much shorter, so we can get good data soon.

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