New iPhone app: phillysubway

**evilpatrick** · 03-31-2011, 11:04 AM

This might be just what you want if you ride the BSL/MFL and have an iPhone. Also, it's free.

Feedback welcome.

phillysubway | Caffeine Fish

**radiocolin** · 03-31-2011, 11:34 AM

Suggestion: S and X should be capitalized, and there should be a space after the comma. Your A and B aren't properly centered in the circle. Details details details mean the difference between a good app and a great app!

**evilpatrick** · 03-31-2011, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by radiocolin

Suggestion: S and X should be capitalized, and there should be a space after the comma. Your A and B aren't properly centered in the circle. Details details details mean the difference between a good app and a great app!

Thanks for the suggestions! You're right about the A and B. I thought of capitalizing the S and the X, but they don't look good with that font for some reason.

**gren** · 03-31-2011, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by evilpatrick

Thanks for the suggestions! You're right about the A and B. I thought of capitalizing the S and the X, but they don't look good with that font for some reason.

I imagine you can change the font for just the S and X

But, you can also change the color slightly--dimming the S or X. It doesn't look bad although I think the fot looks a little off next to the alarm clock font.

I'm also curious what it does, exactly. You click a station and it gives you the schedule for it? Or does it have GPS determine the nearest station? Or do you put a destination and then it will try to route you via rapid transit?

**ArcticSplash** · 03-31-2011, 11:54 AM

I noticed Google Maps on the iPhone doesn't give me ALL the transit options available from where I am standing.

Like if I needed to get to the EL and get out of the rain, I'd like to know what are the closest buses that are coming near me, not the "most efficient route" bus that I have to wait 20 minutes in the rain to catch.

If it means I have to hop on the 89 which is in front of me and go back around to the EL, I'd rather take that than walk 5 blocks and stand and wait for the 25.

I hope citywide GPS on all transit vehicles and real-time data become a reality. The smart phones are already ready and able to suck up this information, just need SEPTA to roll it out quicker.

**evilpatrick** · 03-31-2011, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by gren

I'm also curious what it does, exactly. You click a station and it gives you the schedule for it? Or does it have GPS determine the nearest station? Or do you put a destination and then it will try to route you via rapid transit?

You pick a station and it'll show you the next 4 trains (based on what time/day it is right now). It has all of the trains schedules built-in, and it's smart enough to know if it's on a Saturday schedule, holiday, etc.

**evilpatrick** · 03-31-2011, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by MayfairMeat

I hope citywide GPS on all transit vehicles and real-time data become a reality. The smart phones are already ready and able to suck up this information, just need SEPTA to roll it out quicker.

Yes -- I'm holding off on a bus app until they do.

I envision something that tells you the schedule AND how physically far away the bus is/how fast it's moving

**MariusPontmercy** · 03-31-2011, 06:15 PM

That map appears to be missing Fairmount Station of the Ridge-Spur line.

**evilpatrick** · 03-31-2011, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by MariusPontmercy

That map appears to be missing Fairmount Station of the Ridge-Spur line.

Curiously SEPTA treats both Fairmount stations (main and spur) as one station, so if you select Fairmount, you'll see the Spur trains for it. Could be better indicated on the map.

**radiocolin** · 04-01-2011, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by MayfairMeat

I hope citywide GPS on all transit vehicles and real-time data become a reality. The smart phones are already ready and able to suck up this information, just need SEPTA to roll it out quicker.

It already is a reality, although "real time" is every 3 minutes due to bandwidth constraints. I've played with the full TransitView beta, it's neat. Came in handy during the snowstorm. The reduced beta is still up on SEPTA's site.

**hammersklavier** · 04-01-2011, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by evilpatrick

Curiously SEPTA treats both Fairmount stations (main and spur) as one station, so if you select Fairmount, you'll see the Spur trains for it. Could be better indicated on the map.

You still need to put an (s) by the Fairmount station for consistency. (The Spur platform is right underneath the northbound mainline platform, by the way.)

**evilpatrick** · 04-02-2011, 06:33 AM

I submitted an update today:

Fixed Fairmount station
Centered letters (thanks, Colin!)
Fixed weekend crash bug (weekend crashes were breaking the app).

Temporarily pulled it from the store because it's crashing, the app will be back Monday

**BarryG** · 04-02-2011, 10:14 AM

I think you should consider adding buses. The schedule data is available. Sure they have significantly worse on-time performance that rapid transit but it is still useful to know if the 47 or 23 is scheduled to arrive sooner. Google uses this data and it is useful, but often does not show me the routes I'm interested in. That is the kind of app I would like to see--choose a handful of routes and see their schedules in parallel so I can decide where to wait.

Anyway great work it is great to see developers building apps around SEPTA.

**sanspoint** · 04-02-2011, 08:16 PM

I just found this thread. I don't want to wait until Monday!

**evilpatrick** · 04-03-2011, 04:41 PM

Sorry about that, sanspoint! It'll be all set soon. The crash bug only surfaces on the weekend schedules, which is why I missed it.

**evilpatrick** · 04-03-2011, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by BarryG

I think you should consider adding buses. The schedule data is available. Sure they have significantly worse on-time performance that rapid transit but it is still useful to know if the 47 or 23 is scheduled to arrive sooner. Google uses this data and it is useful, but often does not show me the routes I'm interested in. That is the kind of app I would like to see--choose a handful of routes and see their schedules in parallel so I can decide where to wait.

Interesting, so you want to be able to quickly compare schedules? Some kind of column/table layout with the lines you select?

**BarryG** · 04-03-2011, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by evilpatrick

Interesting, so you want to be able to quickly compare schedules? Some kind of column/table layout with the lines you select?

Yep, exactly. Actually I am considering doing a little webapp for this as an opportunity to play around with some things I have been meaning to learn.

The basic use case is that I am at 10th & South and want to get to South Philly. Do I walk to 12th St and wait for the 23, or walk to 8th to wait for the 47? Or: I am at 8th & Snyder and need to get to the subway. Is it worth waiting a couple minutes for the 79, or should I just walk?

**Tartan69** · 04-03-2011, 05:29 PM

evilpatrick, this is great stuff. Any thoughts on an Android version?

**Beutelratte** · 04-03-2011, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by Tartan69

evilpatrick, this is great stuff. Any thoughts on an Android version?

+1 for Android version!

**Brian616** · 04-04-2011, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by BarryG

Yep, exactly. Actually I am considering doing a little webapp for this as an opportunity to play around with some things I have been meaning to learn.

The basic use case is that I am at 10th & South and want to get to South Philly. Do I walk to 12th St and wait for the 23, or walk to 8th to wait for the 47? Or: I am at 8th & Snyder and need to get to the subway. Is it worth waiting a couple minutes for the 79, or should I just walk?

First of all, great work evilpatrick. Secondly, BarryG is right. Even if it's just based on offline schedules, an app comparing a location and 2 or 3 bus routes would be highly valuable (i'd pay for it).