new paradigm GOOGLE TRANSIT

prepared by

TransitHead, LLC

http://www.transithead.comTransitHead, LLC

“When an organization seeks to serve the user’s full trip and addresses the

broader outcomes of how these trips are to be served, partnerships are

inevitable” (TRCP rpt 53 pg85).

Google Transit?

• It is an online, destination-based trip planner

• In May 2008, Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) held a webinar on Google Transit. As part of the session a poll was taken from members and affiliates. They found:

– 39% knew of Google Maps

– 45% knew of Google Transit

– 41% of the transportation agencies surveyed use automated scheduling software

– 100% feel it would be useful

History of Google Transit

• Google allows their employees to spend “twenty percent of their weekly work hour allocation to work on any projects they want a week” (Wei 1)

– Called Google Labs

• In October 2007, Google Transit graduated from Google Labs.

• In June 2007, Google Transit was integrated into Google Maps and Google Earth.

Other GraduatesGoogle Maps: View maps, get driving directions, and search for local businesses and services. 800-GOOG-411: Search for local businesses using your voice, from any phone, for free.Google Scholar: Search through journal articles, abstracts and other scholarly literature. Google SMS (US): Get precise answers to specialized queries from your mobile phone or device. Search by Location: Restrict your search to a particular geographic area. Google News Alerts: Specify a topic and receive email updates when news breaks.And many more…

Source: http://labs.google.com/

(Rider) DEMAND

(Agency) SUPPLY

Evaluating Trip Planners

• In response to rising fuel, maintenance and labor costs– Rider demand and agency need increase for online trip

planning applications

• The reasons:– easy way for new riders to learn transit systems

– enables personalization (21st century priority)

– familiar operating platform (Google Maps)

Cost of Trip Planners

• In 2002, Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) released a report entitled, Effective Use of Transit Websites– 47 agencies participated

• They reported:– A trip planner estimated developing costs range from

$75,000 to $1.3 mil• In addition to the ongoing costs of updating and tweaking

– 13% had a full trip planner on their websites and – 19% linked to a trip planner typically provided by a regional

transit agency

New Priorities in the Digital Age• Ancillary projects are the last to get funding and/or completed• In the same 2002 report by TCRP they made…

Schematic Summary of Transit Website Development Process

• In 2008, Google Transit is a free trip planning alternative– Enabling agencies to restructure their development processes

Source: TCRP Report 43, pg. 20

SUMMARY OF COST AND ADMINISTRATION OF WEBSITES (2002)

Agency Size

No. of Buses

No. of Rail Cars

Website Administration

StaffingVendors/

ConsultantsUpdating

Visitor Sessions

(monthly)

Very large200-1,500

33-1,000

Primarily internal hosting design, and updating, although

some exceptions

2-3 full-time $0-$300,000Daily, may

include weekends

50,000 and up

Large100-1,000

25-50

Primarily Internal hosting, design, and updating, although

some exceptions

1 full-time $0-$20,0001-4 times a

week10,000-70,000

Medium 30-50 0

Hosted externally: design and updating externally, internally,

or a mix

1 part-time $0-$20,000

Once a week to once a month

No information

available

Small 15-100 0

Hosted externally; design and updating externally, internally,

or a mix

¼ part-time or less

$1,000-$5,000

Once a week to once a month

200-6,000

Source: TCRP Report 43, 2002, Pg 49

SUMMARY OF COST AND ADMINISTRATION OF WEBSITES (2002)

Agency Size

No. of Buses

No. of Rail Cars

Website Administration

StaffingVendors/

ConsultantsUpdating

Visitor Sessions

(monthly)

Very large200-1,500

33-1,000

Primarily internal hosting design, and updating, although

some exceptions

2-3 full-time $0-$300,000Daily, may

include weekends

50,000 and up

Large100-1,000

25-50

Primarily Internal hosting, design, and updating, although

some exceptions

1 full-time $0-$20,0001-4 times a

week10,000-70,000

Medium 30-50 0

Hosted externally: design and updating externally, internally,

or a mix

1 part-time $0-$20,000

Once a week to once a month

No information

available

Small 15-100 0

Hosted externally; design and updating externally, internally,

or a mix

¼ part-time or less

$1,000-$5,000

Once a week to once a month

200-6,000

Source: TCRP Report 43, 2002, Pg 49

Google Transit Equals

• No development costs• Minimal staffing needed• Eligible for federal and state

matching funds• under “New Technology”

A New Paradigm

MODE NUMBER

Aerial Tramway 3

Automated Guideway Transit 8

Bus 1,500

Cable Car 1

Commuter Rail 22

Ferryboat (b) 47

Heavy Rail 15

Inclined Plane 4

Light Rail 33

Monorail 2

Paratransit 5,960

Trolleybus 4

Vanpool 69

TOTAL (a) 6,435

• Google Transit enables

interagency and intermodal travel

better than ever before

• 6,435 transportation service

providers in USA

• Today, 92 North American transit

systems utilizing Google Transit (a) Total is not sum of all modes since many providers operate more than one mode.(b) Excludes International, rural, rural interstate, island, and urban park ferries.

NUMBER OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICE PROVIDERS BY MODE (USA)

Source:http://www.apta.com/research/stats/factbook/document08/2008_natsummary_final.pdf

North American Coverage

…and counting

Thank You

Visit Http://www.transithead.com

for more information

Sources:1. Transit Cooperative Research Program. New Paradigms for Local

Public Transportation Organizations, Report 53. Transportation Research Report. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1999.

2. ––. Effective Uses of Transit Websites, Synthesis 43. Transportation Research Report. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 2002.

3. Wei, Jessica. “Using Google Transit as a Planning and Customer Information Tool.” Webinar, Http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/articlefiles/Google_Transit_transcript.pdf. 2008.

TransitHead, LLCFall 2008

http://www.transithead.com