Planning your trips using Google Transit

Google transit is a trip-planning product of Google that’s still in its early stage. It started as a special version of Google maps, aggregating transportation information such as bus, train or tram schedules to help commuters prepare for their travel. Though it has a long way to go to in terms of the comprehensiveness of the data that it currently aggregates (the transport companies has a big role in ensuring this), the product has improved a lot already since was first launched on September 2005. In fact some Google transit information has now been added to the main Google maps application.

Google transit is still limited to a few cities, but you can get a lot from using this tool in planning your trips. Google transit augments the directions-finding feature of the Google maps by adding commuting directions.

The homepage presents you the usual from: address field and the destination field. In addition you can also specify your departure or arrival preferences to further specify your trip. You start your trip planning specifying the specifics of your trip here.

As mentioned, the results for directions in Google transit comes in two types: one is if you’re driving, and the other if you are taking public transit. The latter is the default information given. This information is displayed beside the map view of your trip scope.

The public transport direction information contains two parts: the list of different trips available, and the actual instructions on how to go about your trip.

As with the driving directions, clicking on each step (e.g. walk, board) zooms in the map to that part of your trip. Since Transit relies on public transport schedules, Google has added time information for each step, to make sure for example that you leave from your starting location at the right time to meet the transport schedule. They also went a little further by adding the amount of savings that you get by taking the public transit path as opposed to driving (I’ve yet to verify the accuracy of this, but it’s likely compared with fuel costs).

You can also find numerous references to local agency information for your specific trip so that you can get further information for any last-minute news, service changes or disruptions.

It’s not hard to see where Google is taking Google Transit. Soon when more cities are supported and more transit companies becomes committed to the service, this will be integrated Google maps and become a part of the evolution of an already great product.