One Bus Away


 

Have you ever missed a bus because it was running early? Or maybe you are like me, waiting, in the warmth of the Computing Center, until the last minute to run across Red Square and catch the last 41 towards downtown. Thanks to OneBusAway, you can now get live bus arrival times for Puget Sound bus systems, including Intercity Transit, Pierce County Transit, Sound Transit, and King Country Metro buses. Arrival times can be accessed through OneBusAway applications – Using your phone, a desktopwebbrowser, or at home, OneBusAway is easy to access. For more information on each service, visit www.OneBusAway.org

Users can get schedules for individual stops by using the stop number located on the bus sign, or by searching the route number on the site. For example, the Library loop stop on campus is #241, while the Dorm loop stop is #294. Because of the bus GPS data integration, the service indicates when a bus is running late or ahead of schedule, giving real time feedback to riders. Unfortunately, OneBusAway can’t be used to plan your next bus trip to Seattle – for full trip planning; you’ll have to use Google Transit.

OneBusAway is part of a graduate research collaboration between Brian Ferris and Kari Watkins. Their hard work has paid off – Brian received his PhD from the University of Washington in Computer Science and has been hired by Google. Meanwhile, Kari received a PhD in Civil Engineering from UW, and is now an Assistant Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Thanks to their work, you’ll always know when the next bus is coming.

3 Responses to “One Bus Away”

  1. Edwin

    So how does this compare to the iPhone’s Map app? I’ll dl it and compare…brb.

  2. Edwin

    Ok, so OBA is cool because it gives you the routes in your immediate area regardless, while Map requires a destination to give you bus routes. Also, as OP states, it tells you whether the bus is on time or not. A useful app if you are are a bus traveller.

  3. Austin

    Thanks for this Louis! I use it all the time. It really keeps me informed – especially for someone who relies solely on the bus. (By the way, it’s free on the App Store!)

×

Comments are closed.