Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2008
MAPPING FEATURE ADDED TO TRANSIT WEBSITE
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – (March 3) – Bus riders can now map their transit trips using Metro Transit’s popular web-based trip planner.
The self-service, on-line trip planner has been enhanced with mapping capability.
It’s available at metrotransit.org, and was used by customers to plan 4 million transit itineraries last year on Metro Transit and other regional routes. Trip planner usage in 2007 was 21 percent higher than in 2006.
“The ability to look at and print maps of specific trips was the single most requested feature by those who use the trip planner,” said Brian Lamb, Metro Transit general manager. “We developed the mapping feature using staff resources. It will help both the seasoned and beginner transit customer and we’re pleased to make it available.”
The trip maps are interactive and intuitive, so customers can zoom in and out and more easily see the locations of the bus and train stops that they will use. The trip planner also provides maps with complete walking directions to and from bus and train stops.
Among other improvements, the trip planner now highlights a “personal bus schedule” feature, which displays all the trips up to one hour before and three hours after the exact trip that is displayed.
“We recognize that plans change and this feature gives customers easy access to information on earlier and later trips,” Lamb said.
Another upgrade gives users a fast way to find the five park-and-ride lots nearest their starting point, simply by typing in their starting address. The lots are displayed on a map and trips can be easily planned by selecting the park-and-ride lot of their choice.
The on-line trip planner has been available for seven years and is the fastest growing source of routing information for regional transit customers.
Metro Transit is a service of the Metropolitan Council. Customers boarded Metro Transit buses and trains 77 million times in 2007, the highest annual ridership in 25 years.
###
(Editors: For information call Bob Gibbons, director of customer services, 612-349-7509 or via e-mail at robert.gibbons@metc.state.mn.us)
