Google Transit: Vancouver is the First Canadian City

While on my drive to work I heard that a new service Google is offering is Google Transit (www.google.ca/transit). Currently Google Transit  only offers the planning of trips in Canada to Vancouver, though I am sure they will look at the other major Canadian cities.  Making the use of the Google Maps and working with the local transit company here in Vancouver (Translink), Google has plotted out the various transit routes within the Greater Vancouver Region which works similar to the way you get driving instructions using Google Maps.

This can be helpful for those people who find that Translink’s own website to be incredibly slow when it comes to finding out which buses to take to get to your destination in Vancouver.

Like most of Google’s online services Google Transit is still in Beta but it seems to be pretty functional. I noticed that I tried planning a trip from my place of work to GM Place (yes The Garage) in downtown Vancouver but it did not know of the location. My second destination I choose was Waterfront Station, which is where the Seabus terminal and the SkyTrain end-of-the-line station is.

Entering in my work’s location and typing in Waterfront Station, Vancouver, Google Transit was able to plot out my journey on the Translink system.

Click on above image to see full image for better detail.

I would first have to walk about 14mins (which I would say is correct) to catch the new C41 (Community Shuttle). Transfer to the West Coast Express (a train service that runs in the morning and evening), and then walk about 2 minutes into the Waterfront Station on Cordova in Vancouver. According to Google Transit my total journey would take roughly 1 hour 25 minutes, which I would assume is about the proper time.

Google Transit also comes up with alternate routes, which is helpful if you happened to miss the West Coast Express or wanted to take a different approach to getting to your destination. 

Google Transit also offers the planning of trips for other places in North America: California, Nevada, Texas, Oregon, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Washington State, Florida, Hawaii and Minnesota. I could see this as being a good tool for those who take public transit. It would also be helpful for those who have internet capable mobile devices and need to quickly plan a trip from con destination to another using public transportation.

Could you find this a service you might use or could recommend to people you know that use Public Transit?