Generally, I have enjoyed the Google Maps integration of the MTA’s subway and bus network. Since Sept. 2008, Google Maps users have been able to generate intra-city subway directions through Google Transit and the main Google Maps interface. As Google recently expanded some of its transit offerings, it’s worth a minute to explore some of the problems with this partnership.
First, the news: Google has added a transit layer to its map of New York City. As On NY Turf and Gypsy Maps have already done through the Google Maps API, so now has Google. As the search engine giant’s Lat Long blog reports, “To turn it on, just point Google Maps to somewhere in New York, click on the ‘More…’ button at top-right, and select ‘Transit.'”
The map itself is interactive. By clicking on a station name, a potential traveler will see the lines that serve that station highlighted while a pop-out bubble displays the station information. Furthermore, Friday saw the transit layer make its debut on the Google Maps mobile application as well. For those with an internet connection, the subway map on Google is now far more accessible than anything available on the MTA’s website.
There is, however, a problem with Google Transit. It doesn’t stay up-to-date with MTA changes. For example, the new South Ferry station that connects the 1 with the BMT stop at Whitehall St. isn’t reflected on Google Transit. That station opened in February. The G train extension, in place since July and on HopStop since then, hasn’t been entered into the Google Maps’ iteration of the New York City subway system either. Bus route changes aren’t incorporated into the map either.
Overall, Google Transit’s service should be a boon for New Yorkers. Other cities — D.C comes to mind — are clamoring for it. But in reality, the service is only as good as those supporting it. If Google can’t find the time to update its map when the MTA changes its service patterns and opens new transfers or stations, it won’t benefit the rest of us who turn to it for directions. It is technology gone almost right, and for once, this one is on Google and not the MTA.
Update 2:28 p.m.: As a few people have noted in the comments (here and here), Google Transit relies on data feeds from transit authorities to maintain up-to-date maps and scheduling info. One commenter notes that the MTA is not providing licensed developers with timely updates and may not be doing so with Google either. I’ve posted the question to Transit and will post what, if anything, I can find out. Still, enough licensees have maps more current than Google’s pre-February/new South Ferry iteration.
12 comments
I’m not sure about this transit layer, but a lot of the Google Transit stuff is dependent on the transit agencies to keep updated. Like for the actual scheduling (and directions), Google grabs that information from a place where the transit agency posts it. It’s not like there’s a Google team sitting there and keeping transit information up-to-date for hundreds of cities – the info comes straight from the source(s).
So it’s possible this one falls on the MTA too.
http://maps.google.com/help/maps/transit/partners/
It might fall upon both. If other licensees have updated information and if the MTA’s own interactive map — powered by Bing and Visual Earth — is updated though, I have to believe that Google isn’t doing something right.
The MTA isn’t providing any developers with timely updates (speaking from personal experience) and I believe John is right that Google is in the same boat.
I’ve updated the post with a final paragraph to reflect this information. When I hear more from the MTA, I’ll update again.
Oooo… it’s very pretty. Now I don’t have to squint trying to read the letters of the lines coming into the little “M” stations.
Along those lines Garmin makes two GPS lines that allow for downloads of transit systems in the US & Canada. They are the 1300 & 1400 moddle lines. Each city is a seperate download & costs between $9.95 & $14.95. Once downloaded the functionality is the same as if it was in a car.
Service changes are usually provided via a data feed. If Google has provided some sort of agreed upon format, then it’s simply upon the MTA to upload or provide the feed of changed service when required.
Unless Google didn’t provide a feed format standard (which would surprise me; I mean they provided with a feed format for the original service programming), there’s a good chance this is the MTA. Their service changes are usually pretty confusing for humans when printed on a sign; imagine the poor developer who has to parse those signs into service schedule changes that a computer can read.
I believe the transit maps are supplied in a GTFS feed just like the transit schedules, if I’m not very mistaken. If I am it’s a feed with a different format name. (The submission of information by the agencies accounts for the idiosyncratic choices to color or not to color lines at different agencies, which rarely matches their published maps.)
Failure to update the map is entirely the MTA’s fault. 🙁
There is an up-to-two-week lag on Google taking updates, which can cause trouble if the MTA makes a last-minute decision, but that can’t possibly account for these errors, which have persisted for months.
Yep, I checked. The maps are generated from *the same* GTFS feed as the schedules. The route colors are in the GTFS feed, the shape of the route between stations is in an attachment to the GTFS feed, etc.
It’s all one format.
I’ve always found Google to be very quick to make adjustments to their maps and correct for mistakes if you file a report. That requires a little bit of work on our part, but that’s in the spirit of the web, I think.
Shocking that the MTA, what with their poor, out-dated website, would be behind in sending updated info to developers.
A neat feature of transit on Google Maps is showings upcoming trains when you click on a station (see Chicago), a feature mentioned by John above. Is it safe to say it’d be rather pointless to implement that for NYC?
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