The Global Innovation Series is presented by BMW i [1] , a new concept dedicated to providing mobility solutions for the urban environment. It delivers more than purpose-built electric vehicles â€" it delivers smart mobility services. Visit bmw-i.com [2] or follow @BMWi [3] on Twitter.
You can make your way around most cities using Google [4] public transit searches or various transit apps, but many cities now provide a list of recommended transportation apps on their websites. A handful of progressive cities even have their own official transit apps.
Denver provides a list of handy third-party transportation app [5] suggestions. Portland, Ore [6] ., has an open API and numerous third-party apps that recommend ways to get around. And New York City has a list of apps [7] to navigate the concrete jungle.
These apps often provide real-time transit information â€" such as the location of the closest bus stop with the soonest-arriving bus, or the low-down on various modes of transport to get you to your destination faster. Here are six cities with nifty transportation apps.
1. Los Angeles
In late 2010, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation [8] launched an app called Go Metro. The app provides visitors and locals a way to plan across-town trips and uses GPS to identify the closest public transit station near you. Users of the app [9] will also be alerted to news [10] from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority [11] .
The free app is available for iPhone [12] and Android [13] .
2. Portland, Ore.
TriMet [14] , the transit authority for the greater Portland area, has completely opened up its data on transit times and alerts for use by third-party app developers. TransitTimes Portland is an app for iPhone [15] , iPad and iPod Touch that takes advantage of this data to give users the city’s light rail, bus and train schedules. TransitTimes allows users to plan trips throughout the Portland area and sends alerts when buses and trains are about to disembark.
If Android is more your style, then Portland Transit [16] is the right tool for the job. Using the same open data, users can look up various bus stops by route or find stops near a certain location using the phone’s GPS. The app even has handy speech-recognition capabilities that enable users to plan their trip via voice.
3. San Francisco
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority [17] partnered with Sky Highways [18] to create the free Muni+ app [19] . The app lets users find out when buses will arrive, locate stops closest to their location and check their Clipper card [20] balance.
The recently launched app [21] is available for free for iPhone [22] and Android .
4. Denver
Denver does not have an official transportation app, but the city does promote Parkmobile [23] on its website. The app handles parking payments and alerts you when your parking meter will expire. When you take the light rail [24] around Denver, you can use the app to pay for parking your car at the nearest station. The app is available [25] for iOS, Android, Windows [26] and BlackBerry [27] phones.
5. Ottawa
The city’s official transit app [28] for the iPhone provides maps, real-time transit updates and buses near your location. Depart from one spot most frequently? You can mark that location in your “favorites.â€
The MyTransit/MonTransport app [29] is available for free, and it is available in French and English.
6. Singapore
Visitors to Singapore can get around easily with the transit app SG Buses. This easy-to-use app for iPhone [30] will help you navigate your way around Singapore’s extensive bus system. The app also utilizes the smartphone’s GPS to show nearest bus stops along particular routes. Are you an Android user who’s traveling to Singapore? Try the highly rated SBS Next Bus app [31] that provides bus arrival times and a “journey planner†to map out your trip.
Conclusion
With a growing number of third-party apps available for a plethora of mobile devices, cities that designate one official transit app can make finding reliable information easier for consumers. However, the demand is strong for open APIs that allow willing and capable developers to create apps â€" which could potentially top current city apps in terms of efficiency and user-friendliness.
If you’re into private transport, a number of other apps have made travel by taxi and town car simpler with mobile payment options and the ability to request a ride just with the tap of a button.
Does your city provide transit app recommendations or have its own app? Tell us in the comments.
Series presented by BMW i
The Global Innovation Series is presented by BMW i [32] , a new concept dedicated to providing mobility solutions for the urban environment. It delivers more than purpose-built electric vehicles; it delivers smart mobility services within and beyond the car. Visit bmw-i.com [33] or follow @BMWi [34] on Twitter.
Are you an innovative entrepreneur? Submit your pitch to BMW i Ventures [35] , a mobility and tech venture capital company.
Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, gremlin [36] [37] ‬
Links
- ^ BMW i (bmw-i.com)
- ^ bmw-i.com (bmw-i.com)
- ^ @BMWi (twitter.com)
- ^ Google (www.mashable.com)
- ^ provides a list of handy third-party transportation app (www.rtd-denver.com)
- ^ Portland, Ore (trimet.org)
- ^ a list of apps (mta.info)
- ^ Los Angeles Department of Transportation (ladot.lacity.org)
- ^ the app (www.metro.net)
- ^ alerted to news (latimesblogs.latimes.com)
- ^ Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (www.metro.net)
- ^ iPhone (itunes.apple.com)
- ^ Android (play.google.com)
- ^ TriMet (trimet.org)
- ^ iPhone (itunes.apple.com)
- ^ Portland Transit (portland-transit.com)
- ^ The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (www.sfmta.com)
- ^ Sky Highways (www.skyhighways.com)
- ^ Muni+ app (www.sfmta.com)
- ^ Clipper card (www.clippercard.com)
- ^ recently launched app (muniapp.us)
- ^ iPhone (itunes.apple.com)
- ^ Parkmobile (itunes.apple.com)
- ^ light rail (www.rtd-denver.com)
- ^ available (www.rtd-denver.com)
- ^ Windows (www.mashable.com)
- ^ BlackBerry (www.mashable.com)
- ^ official transit app (itunes.apple.com)
- ^ MyTransit/MonTransport app (www.octranspo1.com)
- ^ app for iPhone (itunes.apple.com)
- ^ SBS Next Bus app (play.google.com)
- ^ BMW i (bmw-i.com)
- ^ bmw-i.com (bmw-i.com)
- ^ @BMWi (twitter.com)
- ^ BMW i Ventures (www.bmw-i-usa.com)
- ^ iStockphoto (www.istockphoto.com)
- ^ gremlin (www.istockphoto.com)
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