Spokane Transit and Google partnership to launch during First Night at The Plaza
In August I opined for the need to get Spokane on board with Transit Score which functions similarily to Walk Score but looks how well-served you are by buses and rail lines in your location on a 100-point scale. Not only has Spokane Transit Authority made changes to their transit data that allows compatability with Transit Score but they've made changes to trip planner as well.
Check the press release below from Molly Myers and check out the launch event of their new partnership with Google at The STA Plaza:
Spokane Transit customers will soon have access to the latest and greatest in high-tech, online trip planning when STA’s long anticipated partnership with Google Transit officially launches at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, December 31st, during First Night activities at The STA Plaza.
Easily accessible at www.spokanetransit.com or on Google Maps, Google Transit’s rich data integration seamlessly puts Spokane’s transit data in the context of other useful information, such as aerial imagery, business listings and street-level views – giving users a thorough understanding of a neighborhood before they ever set foot in it.
Spokane Transit’s participation in Google Transit is provided at no charge to the agency.
“As part of Google’s commitment to develop useful public-private partnerships, we are pleased to welcome Spokane Transit to Google Transit,” said Jessica Wei, Strategic Partner Development Manager at Google. “This partnership shows STA’s commitment to innovating, serving their riders and attracting new riders.”
Additional benefits of Google Transit include the ability to access transit information from mobile devices, customize routes, get walking directions and use business or place names instead of addresses. Google Transit can also generate an output that is compatible with screen readers for visually impaired users.
STA’s original online trip planner will still be accessible from the agency’s web site.
“We are very excited about STA’s partnership with Google Transit, said E. Susan Meyer, STA CEO. “It’s easy to use and we think our customers will love it.”
