Google knows trains, but METRO doesn’t know google.
Google maps has now added a graphical depiction of transit lines in some cities. Google maps has already added walking directions. They’ve also added transit directions and bus/rail stop locations in cities where the transit agency provided them with that data. That makes Google the most intermodal online mapping service (though they need to add bike directions as well.)
As of October, METRO was saying that they’d provide Google with the data to add transit directions for Houston “before the end of the year.” That would be huge improvement over METRO’s disfunctional trip planner. So far, though, that hasn’t happened. That means we’re behind not only Austin and Dallas but even Lubbock and Walla Walla.
Kudos to Google for recognizing there’s more than one way to get around. Now let’s hope METRO catches up.
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