Riding transit just got way, way, easier. A new website called SpotBus is wildly better than existing online trip planners. For one thing, you can enter destinations like a normal person -- "Ballard," or "Ikea," or "ferry," or whatever -- not some arcane intersection. It's so much faster and more intuitive that it feels like giving up your old gimcrack five-disc CD changer for an iPod.
It only works in the Puget Sound area, but there's no reason something similar couldn't be devised for other regions.
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Biodiversivist Posted 9:43 am
07 Aug 2007
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world
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Michelle Parker Posted 10:25 am
07 Aug 2007
SpotBus is really cool and fun to use! Thanks for sharing this, Eric!
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Biodiversivist Posted 3:08 pm
07 Aug 2007
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world
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Eric de Place Posted 2:06 am
08 Aug 2007
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JMG Posted 2:27 am
08 Aug 2007
We need to make transit routes part of the address so that services like this are not necessary.
I suggest starting with all government offices and events: whenever anything is published (business cards, newspaper or radio ads, flyers, brochures, web pages, ANYTHING) that gives a physical address, the publisher would have to give the route identifiers of nearby transit routes, with a limit of five routes for offices on heavily served routes. Work with the transit agency to make sure that every public agency office thinks of and uses its transit routes as part of its address on its letterhead, etc.
You could do it on the next line down from the office name, to avoid messing with postal systems:
Gov't Office Name
Metro: 1, 1A, 7, 19, 42
1000 Downtown Square, Ste. 730
Anytown, ST Zip+Four
So far, not a single elected or staff official has ever said anything other than "That's a good idea" (sometimes "That's a great idea!") --- but, to my knowledge, not a single one has done anything with it. The inertia factor is just too large.
Once government offices do it, it could easily spread into commercial businesses (retail), and then into all businesses and non-profits that seek visitors.
Save the world: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 5% annually.
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Biodiversivist Posted 2:13 pm
08 Aug 2007
I would like to see something similar for bike routes. Hmm, charge 50 cents a session and maybe it would happen.
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world
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