Comments on: Google Transit ~ Please map Chicago, PLEASE!

By: Roger L. Cauvin

Roger L. Cauvin — Tue, 29 May 2007 15:54:07 +0000

Just a clarification about Dadnab: it is primarily a text messaging service. So the idea isn’t to “plan your route to look like a cell phone”, but to enable you to plan your trips via text messaging:

1. Send text message to chicago@dadnab.com (other adresses are defined for Austin, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Seattle, and the NY/NY/Connecticut tri-state areas).
2. In your message, specify your origin and destination and optional time (e.g. “chicago board of trade to roosevelt & clark by 8 am”).
3. Receive a text message with your itinerary.

You can also submit queries via the Dadnab web site, but it’s mainly for demo purposes.

By: Chicago 2016

Chicago 2016 — Sat, 26 May 2007 03:04:32 +0000

But who knows?

By: Daniel Honigman

Daniel Honigman — Thu, 17 May 2007 14:17:23 +0000

If the CTA designers couldn't get it right, what makes you think Google can? I kiiiiid.

By: Ed Knittel

Ed Knittel — Thu, 17 May 2007 01:47:35 +0000

Jeff, I got your response to my comment and I just have one other thing to say that I think will better explain my point on the complexity of mapping out the CTA with Google Transit and it goes back to getting tie-in and support from the CTA. Here’s why: Google Transit can only be successful if it’s accurate. If it’s even minutely inaccurate then it will wind up confusing and angering A LOT of people. That’s bad for Google even though it might not be their fault. Take for instance all of the station closures. Do you know all of the stations that are currently closed? Do you know which stations are closed on which weekends? Just last weekend the CTA shut down the Brown Line going south past Armitage. If Google Transit was up and running for the CTA and their system didn’t reflect these closures then I’m sure you can image who people would initially blame. Unless someone at the CTA is there to update the information for Google (how long does it take the CTA to update their own website?) then Google will be seen as providing misinformation. I almost think Google should be afraid of what could happen.

By: Ed Knittel

Ed Knittel — Thu, 17 May 2007 00:36:30 +0000

Jeff, I believe the reason that Google has not made a transit map yet for Chicago is that the CTA is an immense system, second only to New York’s (in the United States) and in order to make it work it requires information to be shared by the city and CTA. The CTA, as I’m sure you’re aware, is a giant cluster f*ck and I hardly believe that their top priority is to Google. Their own trip planner hasn’t been updated in forever(?) – except for recently when they made it so that you can route trips by bus only due to the construction rerouting.

If you need proof that the CTA intentionally makes things difficult you only have to look at their online schedules. The schedules are only available as PDFs on their website which makes it more of a chore to get to the information – which is why my CTA Google map only links to the PDF schedules for each station. I only wish I had the time or resources to extract the scheduling information so that I could use it myself.

My map is nearly 2 years old and, unfortunately I don’t see it being trumped by Google any time soon.

By: d

Wed, 16 May 2007 19:59:29 +0000

jeff, great blog. i studied usability at stanford undergrad, so i’ve always had many of the same issues with new sites, apps, and features that i’ve come across here.