Coming soon: phillybus iPhone app

[evilpatrick]

My 3rd and final SEPTA app has been submitted to Apple. It is a free real-time bus tracker. I'll post here when it's available in the app store.

Common questions:

Will there be an android version?

Not from me. It uses an API that SEPTA made available, so an enterprising android developer could make something similar to this.

Does it do schedules?

No, only the location of buses. I felt that it would be too cluttered to display schedule times as well (there's already a lot of information on the screen). The lack of schedules keeps the app light and fast, in more ways than one.

Can I run it on my ancient iPhone?

This release will require iOS 4.0. If you can run that, you're good.

How often do the locations update?

Every 3 minutes. This is the best SEPTA has available to them due to limited bandwidth on vehicles. When they decrease this interval the app will automatically be upgraded to handle this.

[Andy Sharpe]

I like this! I'll definitely feature it on DVARP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Will it be a free app? Also, will it include only city bus routes, or suburban bus routes as well (like TransitView)?

Andy Sharpe
Communications Director
Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers
1601 Walnut St., Suite 1129
Philadelphia, PA 19102-2913
phone: 215-RAILWAY (215-724-5929)
e-mail: sharpe@dvarp.org

[puzzles]

This sounds like a great app. There's another one out there for iPhones that offers real-time bus locations. I don't recall the name. It basically plots the buses running on each line using Google Maps. I found that the bus locations were delayed but that could be due to Septa's 3 minute interval as mentioned in the above post.

[evilpatrick]

I like this! I'll definitely feature it on DVARP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Will it be a free app? Also, will it include only city bus routes, or suburban bus routes as well (like TransitView)?

Thank you! Yes, it will be free. It will include all of the bus routes in SEPTA's GTFS data (though I think some of the stop names in the burbs are a bit ambiguous).

[evilpatrick]

This sounds like a great app. There's another one out there for iPhones that offers real-time bus locations. I don't recall the name. It basically plots the buses running on each line using Google Maps. I found that the bus locations were delayed but that could be due to Septa's 3 minute interval as mentioned in the above post.

Thank you. I've seen that app you mentioned, it's a good idea. I wanted to present the data in a table form to provide an alternative (I find Google maps a bit slow on a phone when I want to look up something quickly.)

[FrankStar]

Android users - there's been an app called SeptaDroid that I've been using for some time now. It amazes people at bus stops frequently when I show them exactly where the bus we're waiting for is. It uses Google Maps.

[mixiboi]

*cough*

https://market.android.com/details?i...life.septatest

The latest SEPTAdroid update allows you to track TWO buses at the same time via Transitview.




I love all the SEPTA Apps out there, makes me feel like I'm in a 21 century city!

[Gladys]

that would be great! Accept I don't carry a fancy phone, that way i'll never be mugged for it. Or if i drop it it's no big deal. But that app is another check on the yes column. I could have used it tonight when the bus came and was packed. If i knew how long the bus behind it was i might have squeezed on. Great idea!

[Dayman]

that would be great! Accept I don't carry a fancy phone, that way i'll never be mugged for it.

You worry WAY too much about everything.

[Gladys]

You worry WAY too much about everything.

i've just lived in cities for too long i guess. and yes i do.

[puzzles]

Thank you. I've seen that app you mentioned, it's a good idea. I wanted to present the data in a table form to provide an alternative (I find Google maps a bit slow on a phone when I want to look up something quickly.)

Sure thing. When do you expect it to be available within the istore?

[evilpatrick]

Sure thing. When do you expect it to be available within the istore?

Probably within a week. It could be two weeks if there was a bug that I missed and has to be re-submitted.

[Dayman]

i've just lived in cities for too long i guess. and yes i do.

I've lived in cities my whole life, and I don't feel that way, and I'm sure many others don't.

[evilpatrick]

Update: ran into some issues with the headsigns. Now the app just displays "Northbound" or "Southbad" instead of "North to 23rd and Venango" etc.
Resubmitted. Looks like it'll be out in a week, barring further issues.

[evilpatrick]

NOW LIVE!

App Store - phillybus

[qweezyq]

I thought this was free. its 1.99 in the app store

[evilpatrick]

I thought this was free. its 1.99 in the app store

It was free when I originally posted the thread. It's now paid (with the ads removed). Everyone who downloaded it for free got upgraded to the paid version with no ads.

[evilpatrick]

Also relevant

This is how I feel about buying apps - The Oatmeal

[qweezyq]

Also relevant

This is how I feel about buying apps - The Oatmeal

not arguing with your right to charge here. I just remembered it being free from the thread, finally got an iphone and was surprised to see you charge now.
Does septa update locations any quicker now?

[evilpatrick]

For the GPS bus tracking it's still one update per 3 minutes :/ It's a limitation of equipment on the buses (rather than an arbitrary software timer).