OneBusAway: A transit traveler information system

Abstract

Public transit is an important tool for those looking to ease their commutes, reduce their car dependence, or perhaps minimize their environmental impact. Unfortunately, the usability of transit systems often leaves much to be desired, to the point of deterring new riders. Tools on the web and mobile devices are increasingly being used to help tame confusing transit systems. OneBusAway is one such set of tools, providing access to real-time transit information for Seattle bus riders through a variety of interfaces, including web (http://onebusaway.org), phone, SMS, and mobile devices. We describe the current system, and then discuss current and planned research that builds on it to use increasingly-powerful smart mobile devices to provide location and context-aware tools for navigating transit systems. © Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering 2010.