Yeah, but also Google Maps sucks massive donkey balls for finding public transit routes.
There's probably a much faster connection available if you use your public transit's own website.
I stopped using them when they removed their promise not to sell user data from their privacy policy. I also didn't feel great about using a closed source service anyway.
Öffi used to be the best app for all of Germany, but it stopped working some months ago, and I read that that was due to an API change from Deutsche Bahn.
So now I use my local transit company's app and the DB navigator.
I use it daily an overall it's better than the DB or my local network's app.
Sometimes it's wrong so I use both. Where it shines is telling me how to get to the right stop and steig. For some reason neither German app will tell me what steig I need and it is a pain.
What? You must not live in the US as it's pretty good, especially cities. Feels more like a "US sucks" response, which I totally get but doesn't make it valid. Try getting a public transit option from Google somewhere like Belize or Guatemala, and then you have a complaint.
Nowhere as optimal as 9292 though.
And for walking and bicycling, OpenStreetMaps or Komoot or Tourtje are better as well than that Americrap. The latter two are annoying in that you need to make an account, though.
On top of that, all those I mentioned are much less data hungry than G**gle Maps.
Where I am (seattle), google maps and the king county metro site give the same routes and information. Almost feels like they're talking to the same API considering it gives the same time down to the minute.
In Europe I'd take that bet. In America, I'd rather be stuck waiting 3+ hours for public transport than walk along unprotected highways where I could just be knocked down for existing
When my husband and I were broke undergrads, we did a lot of walking around our mid-sized college town. We made our way to some pretty non-pedestrian-friendly places in our wanderings.
Police officers stopped to ask if we were having car trouble or needed a ride on a weekly basis. (Obvs, we're white, which is why we were met with the benefit of the doubt from the local officers instead of suspicion.)
Really depends on the details. The delay in public transport is probably waiting for a connection - if it's somewhere pleasant where I can catch lunch/breakfast, then probably take public transport. If I'm on vacation and the walk is through a historic part of town or a scenic hike then probably walk.
Multiple times I've seen NIMBYs vote down light rails and other public transit options. They'll talk about taxes and traffic, but it always boils down to them not wanting "undesirables" having access to their amenities.
There was so much fighting against bus stops in my town. I found out that I was blissfully ignorant to how many of my colleagues were bigots during that time period.
Yeah walking for a portion may be a good option. If there's no long wait for transit for this trip, there's a chance you miss a transfer, and have to walk anyways.
That's the broken part in a lot of the areas of the US, there is so much parking that you will always find a spot easily and everyone no matter which mode of transit needs to spend time to cross the giant parking lot because that's what is between the road and the store for example.
I'm lucky I don't live there and only whitnessed the hostility of the infrastructure towards everyone not in a car when I was visiting on holiday.
It depends where you live. I'm in Europe, and in my case driving to a park (im suburbs, not downtown) with my son was 10min, and cycling was twice as long but with a bike we could go directly to the playground, which was 15 min walk from the park entrance (including taking out the stroller etc) .
So, while google maps showed me 10 vs 20 min, i learned it's faster to actually just cycle there.
Thats how it is for me since you have to take multiple buses or the train then bus from home to work.
I had planned on taking the train like I used to but since work moved a bit, the tracks sort of start to drift away from the location of my job, so Id have to then take some buses. the worst part is the earliest train is about an hour after I like to be at work, and the last train home would mean I wouldnt be able to work a full 8 hour shift before Id have to leave to catch the bus to get to the station
Yeah, but what that doesn't tell you is that if you actually walk that, you won't be alive at the end of the day anymore and with transit you have at least a standing chance, if you try hard.
58 Comments
mech@feddit.org · 71 pts · 104d
Yeah, but also Google Maps sucks massive donkey balls for finding public transit routes.
There's probably a much faster connection available if you use your public transit's own website.
fushuan@piefed.blahaj.zone · 68 pts · 104d
This is again a US only issue I'm afraid. It works great in Europe and Japan.
mech@feddit.org · 26 pts · 104d
Maybe it changed, but last time I tried it it didn't work well in Germany.
Granted, our public transport system is pretty complicated.
porous_grey_matter@lemmy.ml · 11 pts · 104d
It didn't work well in Germany when I arrived in Europe six years ago, but for the last three or so years it's been quite good.
terminatortwo@piefed.social · 4 pts · 104d
It really does suck in Germany. At least in Berlin, Citymapper is the bees knees!
VeganCheesecake@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 9 pts · 104d
I stopped using them when they removed their promise not to sell user data from their privacy policy. I also didn't feel great about using a closed source service anyway.
Now I use a combination of Öffi and Organic Maps.
terminatortwo@piefed.social · 1 pts · 104d
I missed that! That sucks. Didn’t know about Öffi!
mech@feddit.org · 2 pts · 104d
Öffi used to be the best app for all of Germany, but it stopped working some months ago, and I read that that was due to an API change from Deutsche Bahn.
So now I use my local transit company's app and the DB navigator.
myotheraccount@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 104d
Öffi still works well for me 🤔
mech@feddit.org · 3 pts · 104d
Works again for me too, thanks.
Slein4273@feddit.org · 2 pts · 104d
Öffi works again with the DB as provider, they switched to the new API.
Also did you know that there is a fork which adds some new, pretty handy features: https://github.com/santawho/oeffi-ng
arrow74@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 104d
I use it daily an overall it's better than the DB or my local network's app.
Sometimes it's wrong so I use both. Where it shines is telling me how to get to the right stop and steig. For some reason neither German app will tell me what steig I need and it is a pain.
Fmstrat@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 104d
What? You must not live in the US as it's pretty good, especially cities. Feels more like a "US sucks" response, which I totally get but doesn't make it valid. Try getting a public transit option from Google somewhere like Belize or Guatemala, and then you have a complaint.
Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works · 15 pts · 104d
It's absolutely fine in the Netherlands.
Taalnazi@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 104d
Nowhere as optimal as 9292 though. And for walking and bicycling, OpenStreetMaps or Komoot or Tourtje are better as well than that Americrap. The latter two are annoying in that you need to make an account, though.
On top of that, all those I mentioned are much less data hungry than G**gle Maps.
kartoffelsaft@programming.dev · 12 pts · 104d
Where I am (seattle), google maps and the king county metro site give the same routes and information. Almost feels like they're talking to the same API considering it gives the same time down to the minute.
adarza@piefed.ca · 6 pts · 104d
that's because king county literally uses google and google maps to provide transit maps and routing information.
Flames5123@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 104d
I use this app called Transit. Same data, but if any data is missing, it’s crowdsourced by people on the bus using the app.
alsimoneau@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 104d
It used to be better but Google being Google they keep killing their good services
homik@slrpnk.net · 7 pts · 104d
That's of course more likely the said public transit site sucking at providing an API that works. But yeah, for a user that can be a good lpt.
4am@lemmy.zip · 7 pts · 104d
Google Maps works fairly well for most US public transit. Mostly because there isn’t much of it; so it’s not hard for them to maintain it. 😉
Habahnow@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 104d
Ha! Got you Europeans! It was all part of the plan, we INTENTIONALLY chose worse public transit, so we can have accurate Google map routes!
apftwb@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 104d
Citymapper is a great app that handles public transportation navigation very well for most major cities.
http://citymapper.com/
(Not FOSS. Free with some ads or 10usd/year ad free. Shoot me)
atopi@piefed.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 104d
does public transit usually have a website that is not just a list of names of places and times?
Th4tGuyII@fedia.io · 59 pts · 104d
In Europe I'd take that bet. In America, I'd rather be stuck waiting 3+ hours for public transport than walk along unprotected highways where I could just be knocked down for existing
Rcklsabndn@sh.itjust.works · 23 pts · 104d
Or being bothered by police for walking in a car only zone.
nickiwest@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 103d
When my husband and I were broke undergrads, we did a lot of walking around our mid-sized college town. We made our way to some pretty non-pedestrian-friendly places in our wanderings.
Police officers stopped to ask if we were having car trouble or needed a ride on a weekly basis. (Obvs, we're white, which is why we were met with the benefit of the doubt from the local officers instead of suspicion.)
Sergio@piefed.social · 11 pts · 104d
Really depends on the details. The delay in public transport is probably waiting for a connection - if it's somewhere pleasant where I can catch lunch/breakfast, then probably take public transport. If I'm on vacation and the walk is through a historic part of town or a scenic hike then probably walk.
MyVeryRealName@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 104d
You'd walk for three and a half hours?!
darklamer@feddit.org · 18 pts · 104d
To get to work? No way. While on vacation? Sure.
Hadriscus@jlai.lu · 10 pts · 104d
Time to ponder your existence
SuperNovaStar@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 103d
Depends on how in a hurry I am
nullspace@lemmy.world · 48 pts · 104d
Multiple times I've seen NIMBYs vote down light rails and other public transit options. They'll talk about taxes and traffic, but it always boils down to them not wanting "undesirables" having access to their amenities.
Apytele@sh.itjust.works · 14 pts · 104d
They still want them to commute in to clean their houses though. Or perhaps live in the servant barracks on the estate.
Waraugh@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 104d
There was so much fighting against bus stops in my town. I found out that I was blissfully ignorant to how many of my colleagues were bigots during that time period.
wander1236@sh.itjust.works · 28 pts · 104d
I get the point, but I'd still rather a 3.5 hour train ride with transfers than a 3.5 hour walk.
HonoraryMancunian@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 104d
Funny thing is I'm the opposite, so long as it's OKish weather. I prefer the reliability and flexibilty (and exercise).
Habahnow@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 104d
Yeah walking for a portion may be a good option. If there's no long wait for transit for this trip, there's a chance you miss a transfer, and have to walk anyways.
fitjazz@sh.itjust.works · 25 pts · 104d
Could be worse.
Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de · 8 pts · 103d
Saves 1% gas
Thanks google.
renzhexiangjiao@piefed.blahaj.zone · 18 pts · 104d
bike: 51 min
isVeryLoud@lemmy.ca · 10 pts · 104d
Car: 25 min
Michal@programming.dev · 11 pts · 104d
Noobnarski@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 104d
That's the broken part in a lot of the areas of the US, there is so much parking that you will always find a spot easily and everyone no matter which mode of transit needs to spend time to cross the giant parking lot because that's what is between the road and the store for example.
I'm lucky I don't live there and only whitnessed the hostility of the infrastructure towards everyone not in a car when I was visiting on holiday.
Habahnow@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 104d
Yeah, but to counter that, slightly, usually there a lot of paid parking. The free parking is usually not as abundant.
jtrek@startrek.website · 9 pts · 104d
Also include horrific externalized costs from cars.
isVeryLoud@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 104d
Yep, my comment of 25 minutes completely omits the costs, just talking about time.
The externalized costs of owning a car (and most USians don't even care for their vehicles as well as they should) are immense.
Psythik@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 104d
Not an issue if you avoid downtown.
Michal@programming.dev · 3 pts · 104d
It depends where you live. I'm in Europe, and in my case driving to a park (im suburbs, not downtown) with my son was 10min, and cycling was twice as long but with a bike we could go directly to the playground, which was 15 min walk from the park entrance (including taking out the stroller etc) . So, while google maps showed me 10 vs 20 min, i learned it's faster to actually just cycle there.
Smorty@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 10 pts · 104d
something something freedom i think. its your choice... umm... have it your way--no wait thats burger king...
whatever- takes bus and arrives in 20 mins
espurr@sopuli.xyz · 5 pts · 104d
YABA DABA DOOOOOOOO
SethTaylor@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 104d
Looks like London buses at rush hour
SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 104d
Jesus Christ I'm in the US and it isn't like that here. Where is that? That's ridiculous.
TotallynotJessica@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 104d
It's still so unacceptably bad in most places that this circumstance isn't unbelievable
xylol@leminal.space · 3 pts · 103d
Thats how it is for me since you have to take multiple buses or the train then bus from home to work. I had planned on taking the train like I used to but since work moved a bit, the tracks sort of start to drift away from the location of my job, so Id have to then take some buses. the worst part is the earliest train is about an hour after I like to be at work, and the last train home would mean I wouldnt be able to work a full 8 hour shift before Id have to leave to catch the bus to get to the station
LodeMike@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 104d
Probably a route with connections (waiting time and walking)
Jiral@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 103d
Yeah, but what that doesn't tell you is that if you actually walk that, you won't be alive at the end of the day anymore and with transit you have at least a standing chance, if you try hard.
ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 103d
/—\_ vs ____