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As Metrolink announces their inclusion in Google Transit today (although, it's been live since October), Steve Hymon at the LA Times takes a rightfully and just swing at Metro for still not working with Google.
There remains one huge glitch with Google Transit, and it's not Metrolink's fault. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has been in talks with Google Transit about providing its bus and train scheduling data, but the talks haven't gone anywhere.So while many other large cities (New York and Chicago, to name two) are on Google Transit, we're stuck here in the technological backwater known as Los Angeles County. So if you want MTA schedules, you've got to get them through the Metro website, which is loaded with cumbersome and slow-loading pdf files for many schedules.
"Technological backwater." We like that.
Back in October, Metro told LAist that they were looking at Google Transit, but were focusing on their own in-house Trip Planner. Let's see, Google's top-of-the-line service is free. Metro's Trip Planner costs taxpayer money.
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Metro has really dropped the ball on this, just do it already. All the cool cities are doing it.
Now that the iPhone features transit directions, there is even more incentive for Metro to join Google Transit. It would be the single most positive thing I think they could do to increase ridership.
So many people use their iPhone for directions and that little transit icon makes it so insanely easy to see directions for public transit. It's not just the iPhone though, most phones now have access to Google Maps, so I'm sure transit directions will be made available to every device very soon.
The biggest problem with Metro is that so many Angelinos just have no idea it serves them.
Also, I am constantly frustrated by having to use Metro.net's mobile website or iMetro when I'm out and about. Neither of them can provide GPS based location, and neither are even close to Google Transit in terms of ease of use. Metro.net is usually biased against rail as well, something which I find completely absurd.
What's worse is those of us with iPhones (and I'll assume other smartphones too) can't access the MTA schedules on our browsers because Metro's lame website design kicks you into their mobile site, which has almost no useful info.
No, I don't need to know the addresses of the rail stations, nor fare information nor Rules for Riders. And I won't use their stupid, inefficient trip planner either.
How about just listing the freaking timetables?
And what's with their lame video about taking your bike on Metro that only shows bikes on busses? Bikes are allowed on Metro Rail too!
...and what about trying to click those radio buttons on the Metro Mobile site?!! Nearly Impossible.