Metro delays? iPhone app can help you arrive on time | The Examiner | Local

Metro commuters can't always count on the trains or buses to be punctual, but a new iPhone application that sets off an alarm if there are service disruptions can help riders still get to work on time.

TravAlarm reads information from Metro in real time and wakes users earlier than their regular alarm if the transit agency has issued an alert for a service disruption along their route. The users can determine how much earlier they want to be woken -- and can even "hit" a snooze button if they want to get just a little more sleep.

The app debuted in London, where creator Zappmine Ltd. has its headquarters. It's now available for the iPhone and other smartphones in the Washington area, New York, Boston and Chicago.

See for yourself

> To check out TravAlarm, go to https://market.android.com/details?id=com.travel.washingtonalarm.

"The American app is a little bit better," said the app's developer, Arkajit Bala. "Because it can detect rails, buses, trains. ... In the [United Kingdom] it can do tubes but not buses."

Bala first sold the U.K. version for 3 pounds, roughly equivalent to $5, but was disappointed with only 7,000 downloads. The current app in the U.K. and the United States remains free, though it includes ad displays similar to those found on some other free apps.

Bala said he hasn't made a profit on it yet, but that his app is already a hit in the U.S. Recently, TravAlarm was featured as one of Apple's favorite apps, alongside the game "Angry Birds." Bala said he is also in talks with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority to include TravAlarm on the MTA's official website.

Riders on Metro's Red Line seemed receptive to an app that could remove some aggravation from their commute.

"I already subscribe to the email alerts from the Metro, so if an application like that came about, it would definitely be helpful," said Mike Moles, of New Market, Md.

One rider from Bethesda joked that the alarm might go off constantly, referring to the Red Line's frequent delays. "Since I ride the Red Line, I guess I'd be getting that alarm a lot," she said.

According to Bala, there are no paid premium features in the works for TravAlarm. But the oft-malfunctioning escalators and elevators might soon be tracked by TravAlarm.

"That's something that's in the pipeline," Bala said. "We're just getting things in place."

source: washingtonexaminer.com