Government Technology

NYC Transit Uses Digital Maps and 3-D Modeling to Help Travelers



June 19, 2008 By

I live in a suburb of Philadelphia. This morning as I planned a business trip to New York for next week, I went online to New York City Transit's Trip Planner to figure out how I would make my way from Penn Station to the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers at 7th Avenue and West 53rd Street.

Entering my starting point and destination quickly brought up several public transportation options along with walking directions from the closest subway stops.

New features recently added to the Trip Planner make the experience much more immersive for users and reduce the likelihood that visitors will end up calling Metropolitan Transit Authority's NYC Transit agency seeking help. The updated Trip Planner includes aerial and three-dimensional views of the city. Users can get now get walking directions and print walking maps from the closest subway stop to their destination. By using Microsoft Virtual Earth and map data from Navteq, NYC Transit says it is able to provide a more realistic view of the street grid than it previously could, making it easier for users to visualize the walking instructions.

More Detailed Maps

Like other public transit and departments of transportation around the country, NYC Transit is taking advantage of its own databases and enhanced mapping capability to empower citizens to take better advantage of transportation systems.

NYC Transit began offering the online Trip Planner in late 2006, when the agency switched the database software used by call takers in its own travel information center to a product called Transit Information System (ATIS), from Trapeze Software Inc. Agency staff wrote Trip Planner as an interface to the ATIS database and made the interface available online to the public.


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Comments

Anonymous    |    Commented June 4, 2008

There are websites Hopstop.com and Publicroutes.com providing larger trip coverage area and accuracy than MTA website.

Anonymous    |    Commented June 4, 2008

There are websites Hopstop.com and Publicroutes.com providing larger trip coverage area and accuracy than MTA website.

Anonymous    |    Commented June 4, 2008

There are websites Hopstop.com and Publicroutes.com providing larger trip coverage area and accuracy than MTA website.

dahound    |    Commented June 18, 2008

As a transpant from NYC to DC - there are striking similarities to the DC Metro Planner. The accuracy of the NYC system and map interfaces both appear well above average IMHO. The accuracy of my old address geocode and the quality of orthophotography were stunning.

dahound    |    Commented June 18, 2008

As a transpant from NYC to DC - there are striking similarities to the DC Metro Planner. The accuracy of the NYC system and map interfaces both appear well above average IMHO. The accuracy of my old address geocode and the quality of orthophotography were stunning.

dahound    |    Commented June 18, 2008

As a transpant from NYC to DC - there are striking similarities to the DC Metro Planner. The accuracy of the NYC system and map interfaces both appear well above average IMHO. The accuracy of my old address geocode and the quality of orthophotography were stunning.

Keith Kennedy    |    Commented June 19, 2008

Geopicks has been working on a reverse geocode. Time and Place MODE is a new innovation in learning and finding heritage places along the Old prince Edward Island Railway. We have been working in 3D and geocode to create a security system for the trail. I find this technology very intuitive for me to understand.

Keith Kennedy    |    Commented June 19, 2008

Geopicks has been working on a reverse geocode. Time and Place MODE is a new innovation in learning and finding heritage places along the Old prince Edward Island Railway. We have been working in 3D and geocode to create a security system for the trail. I find this technology very intuitive for me to understand.

Keith Kennedy    |    Commented June 19, 2008

Geopicks has been working on a reverse geocode. Time and Place MODE is a new innovation in learning and finding heritage places along the Old prince Edward Island Railway. We have been working in 3D and geocode to create a security system for the trail. I find this technology very intuitive for me to understand.

Eric Blair    |    Commented July 17, 2008

The factoid about Portland, OR, using GPS tracking of buses was interesting. Here in NYC, Homeland Insecurity has been installing GPS-based remote shutdown devices on buses: http://www.nypost.com/seven/06082008/news/regionalnews/busting_terror_114567.htm

Eric Blair    |    Commented July 17, 2008

The factoid about Portland, OR, using GPS tracking of buses was interesting. Here in NYC, Homeland Insecurity has been installing GPS-based remote shutdown devices on buses: http://www.nypost.com/seven/06082008/news/regionalnews/busting_terror_114567.htm

Eric Blair    |    Commented July 17, 2008

The factoid about Portland, OR, using GPS tracking of buses was interesting. Here in NYC, Homeland Insecurity has been installing GPS-based remote shutdown devices on buses: http://www.nypost.com/seven/06082008/news/regionalnews/busting_terror_114567.htm


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