More Hearting of Seattle

[susandennis]

I need to find a graphic for my I Love Seattle entries!

Today is Seattle Busmonster. It actually starts with the seattle community which never ever lacks drama. But, I have learned that if you wade through the shit, you sometimes find gems and Busmonster is about the greatest find ever.

This guy has applied Google maps to bus routes in Seattle. It is the coolest thing I've seen in for-fucking-ever. My bus route is 545 if you want to give Busmonster a ride. I live at 1st and Jackson in Seattle and I ride to 40th and 520 in Bellvue.

The bus systems that serve this area have websites that, frankly, don't suck. But they do not hold a candle to this baby. It just rocks - it gives me times, additional routes, a map I can zoom and traffic info. I can click on my stop and it will tell me when the next bus will get there!

It is just amazing. I sent the guy a donation immediately. This kind of contribution should be rewarded. Wow.

I love Seattle

Comments

[geordie.livejournal.com]

Are the bus locations for real? Does he really know where the bus is in real time? Now that's a good use for all this computing power we all have lying around. Excellent.

[susandennis]

Apparently, and from what I can tell, yes! I do know that the bus times/routes/progress are all tracked. There are some bus stops, in town, where they have reader boards that tell you when the next bus will be there - not when it's sechedule but when it will actually be there.

He really has pulled it all together. And, it looks like he's got more coming. It's really amazing.

[geordie.livejournal.com]

That man deserves a pay raise!

[katbyte.livejournal.com]

I sent (email) you a logo to use for Seattle, but please use a more artistic one if someone sends it to you.

[bconn.livejournal.com]

This is amazing! I will be sending a donation to him in few minutes. This is one the best examples of combining the various services available on the web to make some way, way, way better.

Now I just need to build little box with a speaker, antenna, and a single red button, that will be installed at each bus stop. When the button is pushed, it will query this site and determine how far the bus is away and speak the results to the pusher.

.... alright maybe I just need to let this guy do that, because he would probably do it much better than I could.


PS Hi Susan. Since unzeugmatic told me that you were being a voyeur on another Pioneer Square Denizen, I have been doing the same. I guess it is a time for an official hello.

[susandennis]

I know, I've been messing with it on and off all day. I cannot get over how wonderful it is. Plus, what a great name. I don't even need a bookmark. I got it locked in already.

Did you know that there are some bus stops in Seattle - I want to say maybe Queen Anne and/or University District where they have those lighted boards with scrolling messages that report real time bus info - how long it will be before the bus you are waiting for will actually be right there? I saw about it local TV news about a year ago and thought it was a great idea.

But, your idea of a BusMonster Speaker Box is even better!

And PS BackAtcha! Hi!

[bconn.livejournal.com]

I did not know about the bus stops with lighted boards. Hmmmm maybe I will have to and pitch the BusMonster Speaker Box (TM) to the Metro Transit.

[susandennis]

Well, I just went to the Metro site and can't find hide nor hair of a hint of it so maybe it happened only in my imagination... or maybe it was longer ago than I think. Or maybe it's there an I couldn't find it. Their webmaster seems to be playing with pharmaceuticals and has been for a while.