Busjack Posted May 15, 2009 Report Share Posted May 15, 2009 Here's a link to the Tribune, apparently lauding the RTA for using a $1 million grant to start up a travel planning web site. Now, IIRC, CTA and Metra are teaming up with Google Maps to do that. Pace also announced that it eventually would. So why is the RTA spending $1 million for a competing system, that, if the Trip Planner is any guide, will be inaccurate? Am I or John Hilkevitch missing something here? (I bet the latter.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted May 15, 2009 Report Share Posted May 15, 2009 It's laughable that the RTA thinks they can compete with Google, but what's sad is that they're blowing $1 million on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted May 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 I see, though, that Pace has changed its tabs, and CTA has buttons for both Google Transit and goroo. Maybe someone will do a survey of which is clicked more. CTA may have its point that if you want a [probably inaccurate] itinerary using both CTA and Pace, only goroo provides it. Nonetheless, it is still a waste of $1 million. Giving it a test, it was very slow (a lot of loading messages in the status bar of the browser), and instead of getting me to the University of Chicago Law School, Chicago, as requested, ended at the Hickory Elementary School south of Chicago Heights. Based on that kind of result, take them out and shoot them. The transit method had such bizarre stuff as: Metra Take Metra Train Metra Milwaukee District North Line Add to Preferred Routes Depart at 1:32 PM: Northbrook Arrive at 1:58 PM: Grayland Distance: 13.2 Miles CTA bus Take CTA Bus 56 Add to Preferred Routes Depart at 2:15 PM: Milwaukee & Kenneth Arrive at 2:41 PM: Milwaukee & Western Distance: 3.5 Miles CTA blue line Take CTA Train Blue Line Add to Preferred Routes Depart at 2:46 PM: Western-O'Hare Full Accessibility Arrive at 2:57 PM: Washington Distance: 3.8 Miles Pace bus Take Pace Bus 358 Add to Preferred Routes Depart at 3:05 PM: Torrence Eagle Arrive at 3:29 PM: 16th/Vincennes Distance: 4.2 Miles Now, why wouldn't one just take the train to Union Station? And how does one get from Washington-Blue Line to Torrence Eagle, wherever that is? At least Google Maps got me close to where I wanted. It is a shame that you can't sue the RTA for such malfeasance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twyztdmynd Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 How about flipping 3 mil on some duracells.... http://www.suntimes.com/news/transportatio...-051509.article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted May 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 How about flipping 3 mil on some duracells.... http://www.suntimes.com/news/transportatio...-051509.article Panel 3 of today's Shoe might be relevant. Also, why for about half the buses? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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