Re-Usable Cigarettes, IndyGo Online Tracking

Thursday after work, I sat at the bus stop for about 40 minutes. I missed the 6 o’clock bus (don’t get me started. It was really frustrating). So I waited for the 6:30 bus. I waited while a man with a 2-liter of Coke, a Steak-n-Shake bag featuring skinny fries and cheese dip, and a desperate need for orthodontic attention tried to tell me that my bus changed numbers mid-route. For the record, some buses change from one route to another mid-day, or at certain stops or times, but mine does not. Mine was early on the 6 o’clock route and late on the 6:30 route.

So all weekend, I’ve been talking to anyone who would listen about how I wish IndyGo had some kind of text/email/online tracking system to inform riders if the bus was running ahead, on time, or behind schedule. For example, the Metro in D.C. (train system, not bus) has electronic signs at each station telling riders how many minutes remain until the train arrives. I understand that won’t work at the bus stops around the city, however, there has to be a way to track the buses.

Then I talked to my friend Jenna who lives in Chicago and rides CTA, the Chicago bus system. Jenna said the buses are tracked on Google maps, and people can look online and see if the bus is coming around the corner, a few blocks away or already passed. To check out the system, go to www.ctabustracker.com. The online system allows you to select your bus and your stop and view how many minutes until your bus is scheduled to arrive, or you can select map view to see where your bus is along its route. There is even a text/mobile version for cell phones. This is a great service, and I wish IndyGo would adopt it.

One of the challenges of riding IndyGo is the uncertainty of the bus stops and timing. Yes, the routes, the stops and the times are published. However, not all stops are published, and not all stops have designated times. This creates uncertainty for riders, not knowing if the bus is early, on time or late. Uncertainty is inconvenient, which encourages people to avoid IndyGo and drive instead. I would like IndyGo to consider the CTA-Google-bus tracking system, or some other system to provide more information and easier access to the bus system to current and potential riders. If the system is more convenient, then more people will feel comfortable using it.

And for those who want a funny rider story – “Re-usable Cigarette Man.” That’s right. On Thursday, I watched a man put out his cigarette, put it back into his mouth, get on the bus, ride IndyGo with an extinguished cigarette hanging out of his mouth, get off the bus, and re-light his cigarette. Who knows what I will see this week…