iTransit – My favorite potential iPhone application

I admit I don’t ride the bus as much as I should.  I am one of those people that preach public transportation, but generally opt for the irresponsible car option.  That being said, I do take the bus about once each week.  Because I don’t know the bus routes very well, I use the King County Metro website to find the route.  While the site seems to be unchanged since my freshman year in college (2002), it works pretty well, and I am generally happy as I close my browser and rush out the door.  My way home from my location, however, isn’t quite as easy, since I’m sans computer.  Sure, I can use my phone’s browser to look up the routes, but navigating the web on a phone can be a pain.

As a recent iPhone adopter, and general smart phone addict, I can’t help but think of possibilities with the new app stores that are becoming standard.  As an intermittent bus rider, I would really like to see an iPhone app that will tell me which bus to get on at what time.  Fortunately, some developers have taken the initiative to get this done.  In Portland, OR, a resident named Andrew Wallace released an app that helps you find bus schedules and uses the GPS in the iPhone to help you locate the nearest stop.  I am hoping someone will step up in Seattle and do the same.  <wink> <wink>

But what if this app was taken a step further?  In Seattle, anyone can go online and get information on the current location of buses.  What if an app tapped into this as well?  Now you would have the bus schedule, and also be able to see if it are late or not.  It might also be fun to kill time by watching little dots move around a map of Seattle on your phone.

Now imagine this:  You have found the appropriate bus at the appropriate time and are happily riding amongst the Seattle locals.  It’s been a long day at work, and you really need a nap.  You are wary of resting your eyes, however, because last time you missed your stop and ended up in Mukilteo.  Well, maybe this super bus app could solve this problem.  Just tell the app which stop you want to get off at, and the alarm will go off when you are there.*  Now you can sleep on the bus stress-free!

*Note:  Credit for this last idea actually goes to my roommate, but I liked the idea enough that I am going to post it like it is my own.

This app would be special because it involves a public sector entity – the City of Seattle – which raises an interesting question: who should develop the app?  In my next post, I’ll discuss possible ways a government institution could tap into the web 2.0 community to create some useful services.