U.S. Public Transit Systems Traveling Web 2.0 Style June 3, 2008 David Sullivan, Sr. V. P. of Planning and Technology Hampton Roads Transit Jessica Wei Strategic Partner Development Google

U.S. Public Transit Systems Traveling Web 2.0 Style About Hampton Roads Transit Transit on Web 2.0 –Google Transit Trip Planner –TimeTable Publisher Open Source Initiative –Online Community use of Transit Data Hampton Roads Transit – Leveraging Google Web Opportunities –Google Calendar –YouTube Video –Picasa Photo Repository –Google Analytics

What is Hampton Roads Transit? Regional provider of public transportation in Hampton Roads –Chesapeake –Hampton –Newport News –Norfolk –Portsmouth –Suffolk –Virginia Beach 47 regular fixed routes Shuttle services—Norfolk Electric Transit, Portsmouth Loop, and VB Wave (Virginia Beach) Paddlewheel Ferry across Elizabeth River Handi-Ride services for those ADA eligible TRAFFIX promotes ridesharing, telecommuting and other commuter-targeted programs

Facts about HRT Public agency in existence since 1999 Headquartered in Hampton; has a major operations facility in Norfolk that serves the south side of Hampton Roads; owns transfer centers and utilizes park-and-ride lots across the region Over 15 million rides taken on HRT services in 2007 Over 70% of every trip taken on HRT services is to get to/from work

HRT Governance Governed by a Board of Commissioners- Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads (TDCHR) Consists of 2 council members from every city in HRT’s service area as well a member of the General Assembly and Commonwealth Transportation Board

Agency Budget HRT contracts with each city in our service area separately, and each city determines how much service is provided in their area. Federal 31% Local 30% State 16% Passenger Revenue 23% Passenger Revenue – 23% Federal Funding – 31% State Funding – 16% Local Funding – 30%

Virginia First: Google Transit HRT became the first transit agency in Virginia to utilize Google Transit Free web-based trip planning tool that provides a detailed itinerary using public transportation HRT’s partnership with Google saved the agency approximately $200,000

Google Transit Built on Google Maps Free Transit Trip Planner Get step-by-step transit directions Find transit stops in your area View station information and schedules Compare transit trip cost to driving Includes 37 U.S. Transit Systems

Benefits of Using Google Transit Transit Riders –Easy to use –Simplifies complex timetables and schedules –Multimodal –Powerful map engine –Tied to all of Google’s search results –Plan trips across multiple systems –No URL’s to remember Transit Agencies –Free –Extract data from existing service planning systems –The “Google” effect –More current maps –No place name database to maintain –Attract new riders –Improve coordination

TimeTable Publisher Tool TimeTable Publisher is an open source application enables a transit agency to examine, modify, and transform raw scheduling data into easy-to-read timetables simplifies and accelerates the production of printed on- street and web schedules results in more accurate, current, and consistent schedule information for the customer produces timetables in a variety of formats is designed to use data directly in the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format can be very easy to implement

Effective Date Schedule & Time Points Map with Time point & Transfer Location Transfer Location & Connecting Route Services Route Information

Information Flow Using the TimeTable Publisher GTFS Configuration Input Parameters OutputTimetables TimeTable Publisher

Benefits of TimeTable Publisher Tool Open Source application Helps Marketing to prepare public schedules and timetables in various formats Easy to use Information is dynamically generated Minimal effort to implement Acceptance of Google Transit Feed data makes the generation of raw data very simple and standardized Timetable output can be produced in a variety of formats

Online Community Use Promote innovation and public transit by providing resources to an emerging creative class “GTFS is a lightweight, open format that provides a common, easy way to exchange transit data. You don't have to be Google™ to use it.” - Tim Moore, BART “Can we leverage existing software development by exposing data to the public?” – TriMet Special thanks to Tim McHugh CTO TriMet Portland for the following examples.

Developers are scraping schedule data off websites anyway. GTFS offers a more stable solution with Terms of Use. Developers are scraping schedule data off websites anyway. GTFS offers a more stable solution with Terms of Use.

IAmCaltrain.com Source: “Caltrain station and route data was scraped from the Caltrain Website… The results of their work can be downloaded in the form of a MySQL Dump.” IAmCaltrain.com Source: “Caltrain station and route data was scraped from the Caltrain Website… The results of their work can be downloaded in the form of a MySQL Dump.”

TransitTrips.com Sits on Google Transit Makes it easy to save links to common trips TransitTrips.com Sits on Google Transit Makes it easy to save links to common trips

PublicRoutes.com “…believes in allowing public information to be shared openly by municipalities across the country in hopes of maximizing travel efficiency and better serving the greater public.” PublicRoutes.com “…believes in allowing public information to be shared openly by municipalities across the country in hopes of maximizing travel efficiency and better serving the greater public.”

Stop & Service Finder mtsotp.com Built on the GTFS – other agencies coming Finds all stops, buses & trains in an area Stop & Service Finder mtsotp.com Built on the GTFS – other agencies coming Finds all stops, buses & trains in an area

TransitMaps.org Draws route lines using GTFS TransitMaps.org Draws route lines using GTFS

Garmin StreetPilot “…TriMet responded and pointed me to the GTFS developer site… by far the easiest experience I’ve had getting information from a public agency.” Brett Warden, TriMet Rider & Software Developer Garmin StreetPilot “…TriMet responded and pointed me to the GTFS developer site… by far the easiest experience I’ve had getting information from a public agency.” Brett Warden, TriMet Rider & Software Developer

Direct access to Real-Time Data via web services Direct access to Real-Time Data via web services

TriMet On My iPhone Free Application for iPhone Transit next arrival times “At first I was just going to scrape the Trimet site to get the information. But then I came to find out that Trimet actually has a really nice API to all their tracking information!” Matt King, TriMet Rider & Software Developer TriMet On My iPhone Free Application for iPhone Transit next arrival times “At first I was just going to scrape the Trimet site to get the information. But then I came to find out that Trimet actually has a really nice API to all their tracking information!” Matt King, TriMet Rider & Software Developer

TrainCheck.com Free SMS Services for Cell Phones Access to transit next arrival times TrainCheck.com Free SMS Services for Cell Phones Access to transit next arrival times

TransitCast Presents arrival times and locations of buses that are approaching a selected stop TransitCast Presents arrival times and locations of buses that are approaching a selected stop

Web Service for TriMet Trip Planner Access to Planned Trip Itineraries Offers alternative to screen scraping for applications like DadnabDadnab Web Service for TriMet Trip Planner Access to Planned Trip Itineraries Offers alternative to screen scraping for applications like DadnabDadnab

Mobile Trip Planning Using my cell phone, I can get public transit directions to the nearest pizza place from my current location. Current GPS Location, Current Time, Requested Event/Place En Route Planned Itinerary To Event/Place Location- Based Service (LBS) Formatted Return Formatted Request Web Service API Trip Planner Trip Planner Web Service Example TriMet builds the API and the applications are unlimited Trip Planner Web Service Example TriMet builds the API and the applications are unlimited

Public Feeds Page By making the GTFS data publicly accessible, you can avoid addressing multiple and varied data requests on an individual basis. Public Feeds Page By making the GTFS data publicly accessible, you can avoid addressing multiple and varied data requests on an individual basis.

Hampton Roads Transit – Leveraging Google Google Calendar YouTube Video Picasa Photo Repository Google Analytics

Google Calendar The HRT Community Calendar uses the Google Calendar and is embedded on the goHRT.com website. Google Calendar The HRT Community Calendar uses the Google Calendar and is embedded on the goHRT.com website.

YouTube Following a citizen recommendation, HRT uses YouTube to share video clips of a modeling simulation of a new light rail line currently under construction. YouTube Following a citizen recommendation, HRT uses YouTube to share video clips of a modeling simulation of a new light rail line currently under construction.

Picasa Web Albums HRT’s intranet site uses the Picasa’s web albums to provide employees with access to the company's photo gallery. Picasa Web Albums HRT’s intranet site uses the Picasa’s web albums to provide employees with access to the company's photo gallery.

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