30 September 2011

ACTION transit data finally available in Google Maps

| arescarti42
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Whilst fiddling around tonight with Google maps I made an astonishing discovery, public transit data is available for Canberra.

This means using the directions function in Google Maps, you can select where you are, where you want to go, and when you want to get there, and Google will tell you the best way to do it by bus.

Strangely Canberra still isn’t listed on the Google Maps Transit site, nor is there any mention of it on the ACTION website. However inputting ACT addresses into the directions fields provides public transport directions anyway. Weston Creek to Russel for example.

Has anyone seen any announcements about this? Perhaps they are still testing it. Still, this is a massively useful feature.

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shadow boxer4:05 pm 04 Oct 11

damien haas said :

Bussie said :

Gungahlin Marketplace to Civic is a lot quicker than an hour. The scheduled time for morning peak 200s is 34 mins, another 14 mins gets you to the corner of Kings Ave and National Cct, ie Barton.

Most people would actually look at timetables and figure this out. others will just say it takes 1 hour 25 minutes and continue taking their car, which they will have to pay to store somewhere for 9 or 10 hours.

The real problem is the infrequency of local services which would take a person to Gungahlin town centre for the 34 minute or the redex service. Even in the peak hours, they arent great.

I cant vouch for the figures, I just typed them in, you can do it as well if you want.

The difference is that GTC to Barton is one trip and you are measuring trip time. the actual transit time between Ngunnawal and Barton would include waiting for connections. If you include the initial walk to the ngunnawal stop and the walk at the end to your work the true transit time is probably closer to 1 hour 30 or 40.

Over three hours out of every day, no thanks….

More ratepayers’ money to be wasted on ACTION according to this report on ABC Online (nothing in the Canberra Times apparently)

Ambitious upgrades for ACTION buses
Posted October 03, 2011 09:18:32
The latest annual report for ACTION buses shows Canberra’s public transport provider has ambitious upgrade plans.

More than $4.5 million is being spent upgrading the aging radio communication system on ACTION buses, with the installation of a vehicle tracking and duress system.

Almost $4 million has been set aside to recommission the Woden bus depot in Phillip.

Current commercial tenants at the site are upset, but ACTION management says it will ease congestion at the Belconnen and Tuggeranong depots.

This financial year the 100 bus replacement program will wrap up with the final 10 wheelchair-accessible buses due to be delivered.

ACTION is considering how to expand the MyWay smartcard system introduced earlier this year to include parking fee payments, access to bike sheds and connecting with special needs taxi services.

Bussie said :

Gungahlin Marketplace to Civic is a lot quicker than an hour. The scheduled time for morning peak 200s is 34 mins, another 14 mins gets you to the corner of Kings Ave and National Cct, ie Barton.

Most people would actually look at timetables and figure this out. others will just say it takes 1 hour 25 minutes and continue taking their car, which they will have to pay to store somewhere for 9 or 10 hours.

The real problem is the infrequency of local services which would take a person to Gungahlin town centre for the 34 minute or the redex service. Even in the peak hours, they arent great.

A link is now on the ACTION homepage, what can also be found is this magical “Google Feed” that a certain group is after. All can be found at https://www.action.act.gov.au/googletransit/default.html

shadow boxer said :

Sorry mine was from Ngunnawal not the town centre, 1 hour from the town centre to Civic still isn’t really workable for me.

Bring on the light rail….

Gungahlin Marketplace to Civic is a lot quicker than an hour. The scheduled time for morning peak 200s is 34 mins, another 14 mins gets you to the corner of Kings Ave and National Cct, ie Barton.

shadow boxer5:52 pm 03 Oct 11

Sorry mine was from Ngunnawal not the town centre, 1 hour from the town centre to Civic still isn’t really workable for me.

Bring on the light rail….

shadow boxer said :

This caught my attention, typed in my trip from Gungahlin to Barton, wait for it….1 hour 25 minutes.

I’ll stick to the car thanks

i typed in the same thing and came up with three options: 58 minutes, 1 hour 25 minutes and 58 minutes.

How are those blinkers ?

shadow boxer2:23 pm 03 Oct 11

This caught my attention, typed in my trip from Gungahlin to Barton, wait for it….1 hour 25 minutes.

I’ll stick to the car thanks

puggy said :

As overdue as it is, that is really great. Much easier to work out transport options. Now I can move on to waiting ten years for bicycle directions!

No need to wait for bike directions, Bike route toaster seems to do a reasonable job. Based on open street map data. (Tick “OSM” and “bike” and it will include bike paths and other shortcuts)

It’s one step in the right direction 🙂 Now they just need platform numbers at the interchanges, please?

Checkout my commute from Duffy to Queanbeyan: http://goo.gl/6PgqI
Admittedly the Fyswick->QBN leg could be done with a strap-on bike, but the trip out to Civic is a bit much.
FWIW, yes, I know Deanes run from woden to/from QBN (And I’m not surprised Google don’t have this info) – but it’s $14.40/day and I think that’s a bit much (e.g. $7.60 max on ACTION per day + some free trips if I have more than 36/month).

As overdue as it is, that is really great. Much easier to work out transport options. Now I can move on to waiting ten years for bicycle directions!

Gungahlin Al12:48 pm 30 Sep 11

luther_bendross said :

Awesome! That takes a metric shitload less time than navigating Actions’ dogs’ breakfast of a website.

“Metric shitload” LOL.
And + 11ty million on the ACTION website.

luther_bendross10:57 am 30 Sep 11

Awesome! That takes a metric shitload less time than navigating Actions’ dogs’ breakfast of a website.

That’s pretty impressive.

Yay. Thanks for the heads up.

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