Online rural transit marketing project for easy-to-use coordinated information and service
Recently, Trillium worked with Transit Marketing to revise and re-launch deltarides.com, a website for Delta Rides, an association of about ten transit agencies in the Mississippi Delta region.
The website includes a service map that shows transit routes rom many different providers throughout the region on one map. Clicking on a route in the legend or in the map brings the user to more agency and schedule information. What would otherwise be a complicated web of disconnected information that the transit rider has to stitch together themselves is now easier-to-navigate.
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Transit wins big in elections! (and Trillium plays a part)
It was great to see U.S. voters come out in support of transit in a big way in the 2008 election. Here in California, some notable victories included Proposition 1A, a $10 billion bond measure for California high-speed rail, Measure R for transit in Los Angeles County, and Measure Q for Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit.
I’m proud to report that Trillium volunteered to be part of the Measure Q victory for Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, a proposal for a half-cent sales tax to fund commuter rail service along the congested 101 corridor in Sonoma and Marin Counties and connect to San Francisco Bay Ferry service.
The Yes on Q campaign wanted to be smart about their online outreach, so they asked for some help and advice. Especially because there are a few universities, junior colleges, and tech companies in the area, I suggested that creating a Facebook group might be a good way to recruit volunteers and supporters.
Perspective on non-agency data clearing house for Google Transit
As anyone who follows this blog, my presentations, or my work and advocacy will know, I am a great admirer of the TriMet’s (Portland, OR) innovation and smart strategies for marketing, communications, and information management.
Recently, some folks have begun considering whether state DOT’s could play a role as data aggregators for Google Transit. I asked TriMet’s Chief Technology Officer what he thought of the idea. Here was Tim’s response:
“We want to provide the most accurate and up to date information to our customers in a timely manner without adding overhead to our process. Making our data readily available on the web is the easiest, most direct and efficient method. Introducing a data clearing house as a barrier between us and our customers just doesn’t make sense. If a clearing house could add value to the data we make available, it’s right there for them to use.” (Tim McHugh, CTO TriMet)
In other words, it’s great to see states taking an interest in Google Transit, and hopefully they’ll provide funding, expertise, and project management, and maybe even do something besides Google Transit that’s useful with the data. But don’t lock the state into one approach and on data system. Let agencies choose solutions and approaches that best fit their needs.
That’s the beauty of Google Transit and so many internet technologies. They free data and spur innovation.
-Aaron
