@younata asks:

@awesomesheep48 @ascentale @younata @bikenite didn’t know about the Transit app. Although it’s not got where I live it’s got a surprising number of places close to me so I’m going to have a look. Thanks.

@ascentale @younata @bikenite

#bikenite

A4

Not my thing - I use trains only for long distance part of day+ long rides not starting in London so planning is kinda built in.

But as always with our fantastic Bikenite correspondents have found out about new interesting stuff that I would have remained ignorant of in my little bubble. And will be downloading a new app to see what it's like.

@NNN @ascentale @younata @bikenite was just going to mention this - my city’s transit system provides an upgrade to Royale after you use Transit while riding the bus a few times. Here’s what the bus+bike info looks like. Their bike routing info is better than many general map apps but as always, would say to use with caution. Here, you can also add in our local bike share system as another option. (I have no financial stake in Transit, am just a reasonably satisfied user of it.)

@bikemonterey @ascentale @younata @bikenite @acdingman

Not... Really...

TL;DR...

Tracking this information is annoyingly fragmented. No municipality that I know of for example digitally stores bikeway, greenway, or walkway information in the same way.

Google created (then largely ignored) the GTFS database, which provides a common repository for Public Transit info. But it is lacking in Multimodal fields.

GTFS2 is better, but still incomplete.

@bikemonterey @ascentale @younata @bikenite @acdingman

Cal-ITP and other agencies, as well as some NGO service providers have been pushing for a standard, but politically the demand has not been high and most of them focus on who is making the most "noise".

Transit (which makes the MST App) for example are avid bikers and have been looking for ways to solve this for some time.

Much of my last 4 years have been pushing for open data standards in Public Transit, But MST is a fairly small voice

@bikemonterey @ascentale @younata @bikenite @acdingman

At the Public Transportation level, cooperation between agencies is generally good, but more federated than integrated in nature. Even agency-to-agency, the differences in routing/tracking data and the ability to create planning information for the Public varies pretty wildly, and no one has the funds to build the bridges needed to make it all talk to each other.

Andrew (who I brought into this thread) might have some app suggestions...

@bikemonterey @ascentale @younata @bikenite @NoRomBasic I wish I did. Mostly if I'm trying to plan a multi-modal trip, I use multiple apps and cross-reference between them.

@bikemonterey @ascentale @younata @bikenite @NoRomBasic I feel like working on those enabling data standards, federation issues, etc., would be "good MITRE work". Work I'd be happy to do in place of some of my DoD work. But as Mike says, I don't know who'd pay

@acdingman @bikemonterey @ascentale @younata @bikenite

FWIW, groups that I talk to regularly that are passionate about making things like this happen are:

Cal-ITP (Part of California DOT)
Rebel Group
Compiler
TRANSIT App (from Canada)
JAWNT
Ministry of Velocity

All of them are a mix of Public/Private/Non-Profits but every one is very passionate about "the cause" Folks might be surprised at how much "pro bono" work they do.

None of them probably get the recognition that they deserve.

#BikeNite A4 https://trimet.org/home/planner-mode-settings/ has options for walk, bike, scooter, or drive to a park-n-ride, for #pdxBikes #Portland metro area, and you can see the current location of the bus + train on the map (but not streetcar govt silo something-something)
@ascentale @younata