Missed buses and subways will be a thing of the past if Google has anything to say about it. The search giant is expanding its efforts to provide live, up-to-the-minute information about transit. If you live in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Budapest, Chicago, San Francisco, or Seattle, real-time transit information will be available in your Google Maps app.
According to the official Google Maps blog posted by Technical Program Manager Karen Grunberg, the company is working with over 25 partners in these six areas to source its data. This brings the total number of partners in real-time information to over 100 as it continues to ramp up Google Maps’ capabilities.
If you’re one of the lucky public-transit users in these chosen locations, you will start to find real-time information in regards to buses, trains, and subway systems. Late arrivals, departure times, and other pertinent information including cancelled runs will be available within Google Maps.
While Google’s blog post did not specify which platforms the live information would be available on, it is currently available only on Android. Don’t fret, though, iPhone loyalists: it is expected that the information will be available for iOS in the near future. Google currently offers live traffic updates on its mobile platforms as well as on desktop. Obviously desktop is less of a concern for live updates geared toward people on the go, but it could make its way to the browser as well.
Google isn’t new to the transit information game; the company has been providing bus and subway schedules since 2007. That information, sourced from over 6,000 transit authorities, is available for over 18,000 cities and towns in 64 countries spanning six continents. Google says it provides information for over 2.5 million train stations, bus stops, and ferry terminals around the world.
