Quantcast RochesterSubway.com : ‘Google Transit’ Tames Rochester’s Baffling Bus Schedules
Rochester Subway
Subscribe for Email UpdatesBecome a Facebook FanFollow Us on TwitterRSS Feed Rochester History + New Ideas. Fresh from the Rochester Subway.

Topics


Rochester Subway Gift Shop


¤ Visit the Gift Shop


Modern Rochester Subway Map


Modern Rochester Subway Map

¤ View Details
¤ Buy at MetroPosters.com


City of Rochester, New York


City of Rochester, New York

¤ View Details
¤ Buy at MetroPosters.com


Rochester Neighborhoods Map

Rochester Neighborhoods Map

¤ View Details
¤ Buy at MetroPosters.com


Rochester Subway DVD

The End of the Line - Rochester’s Subway (DVD)

¤ View Details
¤ Buy at MetroPosters.com


Rochester Landmarks Poster

Rochester Landmarks Poster

¤ View Details

 | 

SOLD OUT


Work in Rochester

Work in Rochester

¤ View Details
¤ Buy from Amazon


Original Streetart by SPACEMAN

Original Streetart by SPACEMAN

¤ View All Spaceman Art


Old Rochester Photos<br>and Historical Views

Old Rochester Photos
and Historical Views

(Framed Reprints Available)

¤ View All Rochester Photos


Rochester Subway Cap

Embroidered Subway Cap

¤ View Details


Rochester Subway T-Shirt

Rochester Subway T-Shirt

¤ View Details


Rochester Subway Token T-Shirt

RTC Token T-Shirt

¤ View Details


Rochester RTC Token

RTC Token (1948)

¤ View Details

 | 

SOLD OUT


Roch. & Brighton Token

Roch. & Brighton Token
(1887-90)

¤ View Details

 | 

Add To Cart


Rochester Railway Co. Token

Rochester Railway Co. Token (1900-09)

¤ View Details

 | 

SOLD OUT


Rochester School Fare Token

School Fare Token (1948)

¤ View Details

 | 

Add To Cart


Rochester NYS Railways Token

NYS Railways Token (1909-38)

¤ View Details

 | 

Add To Cart


Rochester Subway Vintage Postcard

Vintage Postcard (1941),
Rochester Rail Equipment

¤ View Details

 | 

Order Reprint

¤ See All Vintage Postcards


Rochester Subway Vintage Postcard

Vintage Postcard (1938),
Subway & Broad Street

¤ View Details

 | 

Order Reprint

¤ See All Vintage Postcards


Rochester Subway Vintage Postcard

Vintage Postcard (1942),
Rochester City Hall & Subway

¤ View Details

 | 

Order Reprint

¤ See All Vintage Postcards


Rochester Subway Vintage Postcard

Vintage Postcard (c.1912),
Rochester’s Four Corners

¤ View Details

 | 

Order Reprint

¤ See All Vintage Postcards


Rochester Subway Vintage Postcard

Vintage Postcard (c.1905),
Erie Canal Aqueduct

¤ View Details

 | 

Order Reprint

¤ See All Vintage Postcards


Rochester Subway Vintage Postcard

Vintage Postcard (c.1928),
South Entrance to Subway

¤ View Details

 | 

Order Reprint

¤ See All Vintage Postcards


Rochester Subway + Trolley Transit Passes

Original Subway, Trolley,
and Bus Weekly Transit Passes

¤ View All Transit Passes





‘Google Transit’ Tames Rochester’s Baffling Bus Schedules

Rochester's bus routes and schedules can be intimidating for someone who doesn't frequently ride the bus.
If we’re being 100% honest with each other I have to tell you I used to pee myself with fear at the thought of having to ride Rochester’s bus system. Not because the buses are dirty—they’re actually some of the cleanest buses I’ve ever been in. And no, I’m not afraid of the “people” who ride the bus—some my best friends external link use RTS to get everywhere they go. I’m ashamed to say I used to avoid taking the bus because I couldn’t read those damn bus schedules. Pathetic I know.

Traveling to and from downtown wasn’t the problem. All I had to do was find a bus stop and hop on—it’s a straight shot. But if I had to get anywhere involving a transfer (which, in Rochester, is pretty much everywhere) then I was lost. How in the world would I know which bus to transfer to once I got downtown? And how long would I have to wait? Would it be quicker to walk? How do I know if this is the most direct route? How much time do I have to leave myself to catch the 7 o’clock show at the Little? AAAAAAH! Forget it! I’ll drive.

Not so fast… There’s an app for that…

No car? You don't need a bus schedule... You need Google Transit.RGRTA is now part of Google Transit external link, a free service that lets people find routes and schedules right from the comfort of your PC or mobile device. The tool is designed to remove the uncertainty from riding the bus. No more standing at a stop, wondering when it will come and where it will go. Making a query automatically finds the next bus, because Google Transit factors in the time that the request is made.

Tell Google Transit where you're heading and what time you need to be there. It takes care of the rest. Complete with route numbers, times, and if you'll need to do any walking.It is also possible to use the system at home to plot a trip: For example, if I need to get from my house in Irondequoit to my office in Fairport by 9:00 a.m., it can quickly tell me that RTS Bus Route 3 leaves the intersection of Titus and Brookview at 7:01 and will take me downtown to Broad & Exchange, where the Route 21 bus leaves at 7:49 and gets me to Fairport at 8:12… Forty-eight minutes early! Okay, so our bus system isn’t perfect… The point is, I’ve lived in Rochester for 15 years, and thanks to Google, I’m now riding the bus with great confidence. Look ma, no hands!

Going out of town? Google Transit and the Transit Layer (shown above) are now available in hundreds of cities worldwide. From NYC to Tunisia.What’s even cooler is Google Transit is now compatible with hundreds of cities external link across the planet. So whether you’re staying in Rochester, exploring the London Tube, or vacationing in Tunisia, Google’s got a map for that.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 19th, 2010 at 9:22 pm and is filed under Transit + Infrastructure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

5 Responses to “‘Google Transit’ Tames Rochester’s Baffling Bus Schedules”

  1. Jay Partyka says:

    I use this on my Motorola Droid all the time. I use GPS to pinpoint where I am, punch in where I want to go (like “Village Gate Square”) and it will tell me where the nearest bus stop is and which buses I need to grab to get there.

  2. admin says:

    @Jay, some transit authorities even have real-time tracking of their buses as a Google Maps overlay so you can see exactly where your bus is. Any idea if RTS is working on this?

  3. Bob says:

    That feature has been “in the works” since I’ve been going to RTS town meetings, so over a year. I’d imagine it will be complete at the same time as the Automatic Stop Announcement System is complete.

    To be completely fair, the bus I rode from Main/Clinton to the Design Center for the J.R. Smith roundtable had this feature active. I was impressed. I get the feeling that, like the sign outside of RTS headquarters, this was a beta release. The 500 series buses seem to have the equipment required for this. The vast majority of 1200’s and 700’s need new displays and driver GPS modules integrated.

    Anyway, thanks much for the mention! Did you know you can get dropped off at the front door of the Lilac Festival without changing buses from your house? Sound like something your daughter would like?

  4. admin says:

    @Bob, you were the inspiration for this post. You’re right, it is a straight shot from my house to the Lilac Festival which is pretty cool. Although I would take the #5 as my house isn’t the one I’ve shown in the illustration. My real house is right on the #5. I don’t want mobs of Subway fans at my doorstep.

  5. admin says:

    In recognition of Bike Week I should also mention you can get directions for biking and walking too.


Post a Comment...



Earn 75,000 Bonus Points for travel with the Chase Sapphire card when you use this referral link.

  Most Popular...
  1. Inside Rochester’s Terrence Tower(views: 69.7k)
  2. Pot Holds Bowie in Rochester(views: 39.2k)
  3. University of Rochester’s Lost Swimming Pool(views: 38k)
  4. Inside Abandoned Medley Centre (a.k.a Irondequoit Mall)(views: 35.9k)
  5. Inside Rochester’s Abandoned Walters Psychiatric Building(views: 35.6k)
  6. The Old Barber House(views: 33.8k)
  7. History of Seabreeze Amusement Park(views: 30.4k)
  8. Deep Inside Rochester’s Big Old Sibley Building(views: 27.7k)
  9. Abandoned Glass House(views: 24k)
  10. Durand Eastman Park and the Lady In White(views: 22.4k)
  11. Rochester Mafia, the Banana King, and the Infamous “Barrel Murder”(views: 21k)
  12. Abandoned Girl Scout Camp Beech-Wood(views: 19.2k)
  13. Exploring the Caves of Rochester, NY(views: 18.9k)
  14. Inside the Abandoned Vacuum Oil Refinery(views: 17.1k)
  15. Inside the Abandoned Camp Haccamo, Penfield(views: 16.2k)
  16. Inside 65-67 Chestnut St. – Old Hotel Richford(views: 15.9k)
  17. The Best Holiday Light Displays in Rochester v1.0(views: 15k)
  18. Martha Matilda Harper – Innovator in Beauty and Business(views: 14k)
  19. Abandoned Theme Park: Frontier Town(views: 14k)
  20. Rochester’s Mercury Statue, Up Close and Personal(views: 12.5k)

Topics

  • Architecture (64)
  • Art + Culture (127)
  • Events (110)
  • Freebies (9)
  • Interviews (32)
  • Opinion (110)
  • Other (15)
  • Reader Submitted Stories (126)
  • Rochester Apartments (6)
  • Rochester Destinations (107)
  • Rochester Gifts (19)
  • Rochester History (203)
  • Rochester Homes for Sale (13)
  • Rochester Images (208)
  • Rochester News (378)
  • Rochester Subway (51)
  • Rochester Subway Stories (17)
  • Subways Around the Globe (11)
  • Train/Railroad Stuff (47)
  • Transit + Infrastructure (208)
  • Uncategorized (24)
  • Urban Development (262)
  • Urban Exploration (62)


  • Earn 75,000 Bonus Points for travel with the Chase Sapphire card when you use this referral link.

    Rochester Subway Information

    Get Email Updates...
    Stay up-to-date on Rochester-related stories, artifacts, and ideas that you won't find in the mainstream news. Totally free, never spammy, and you can unsubscribe at any time.


    ¤ See Past Issues
    ¤ Our Privacy Policy

    Links

    Get Involved...

    ¤ Reconnect Rochester

    Related Blogs...

    ¤ A Town Square
    ¤ Moderate Urban Champ
    ¤ Our Tiny Earth
    ¤ The Rochesterian
    ¤ RocVille
    ¤ Rust Wire

    Resources...

    ¤ RochesterDowntown.com
    ¤ Rochester's Public Library
    ¤ ROCwiki


    Earn 75,000 Bonus Points for travel with the Chase Sapphire card when you use this referral link.



    Want to Advertise
    on RocSubway?
    Drop us a line.


    Other ways to follow RochesterSubway.com...

    Subscribe for Email Updates

    Email

    Become a Facebook Fan

    Facebook

    Follow Us on Twitter

    Twitter

    RSS Feed

    RSS

    Questions + Comments

    For questions about the Rochester Subway Poster or about your order, please email [email protected].

    Want to SAVE Shipping Costs?
    Buy the Subway Posters at these local shops...

    About the Rochester Subway Poster...

    ¤ Parkleigh [ ...map it ]
    ¤ Poster Art [ ...map it ]
    ¤ Rochester Public Library Store [ ...map it ]

    ¤ Rochester Subway Poster Press Release
    ¤ Article by Otto M. Vondrak
    ¤ Design by Mike Governale

    More About The Rochester Subway

    Help Support...

    ¤ Rochester Subway (Wikipedia)
    ¤ The End of the Line - Rochester's Subway, DVD
    ¤ Abandoned Subway Photos (Opacity.us)
    ¤ Walking the Rails (YouTube Video)

    ¤ Friends of RochesterSubway.com




    RochesterSubway.com