Transit (for Android)
Transit (for Android)
Every commuter with an Android-powered tablet or smartphone who’s felt the sting of not knowing the schedule of public transportation should download Transit (free). The Android-only app delivers real-time bus, train, and ferry information to users in more than 80 domestic and international cities, including Berlin, Houston, Montreal, Nashville, New York, and San Francisco—Citymapper, a competing app, offers a little more than a dozen locations. On the surface, Transit appears a simple public transportation app, but if you dig deep into its feature set you’ll find a surprising number of useful commuting tools.
How It Works
Transit doesn’t track the number of calories that you’ve burned by walking from home to the bus stop as Citymapper does, but it serves up a wealth of transit-related information if you have location-based services enabled on your mobile device. When I launched Transit on myGoogle Nexus 6 while standing at a bus stop located just off the corner of 32nd street and 5th Avenue in New York City, the app revealed several local and express buses in the area, as well as the subway stations within walking distance.
The entries for the various public transportation lines display the station or stop location, and the bus, ferry, or train’s estimated time of arrival. You can also pin favorite lines, so that their results always appear at the top of the easy-to-read data stack. My one gripe with the pinning functionality is that it’s difficult, at least initially, to tell if you’ve actually favorited a bus, train, or ferry; a tiny star is the indicator, and it’s easily overlooked. Still, Transit’s overall interface is easier to digest than Citymapper’s somewhat cramped design.
Time of arrival estimates is arguably Transit’s most important feature. Transit updates in real time, so if a bus, train, or ferry falls behind schedule, you’ll see the wait time grow. I’ve tested the app for two weeks and discovered that Transit’s app gave me more accurate data than the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s official transit tracker. That said, Transit doesn’t give you the reason for the delay; download Citymapper for that type of data.
A very recent Transit update added useful Uber integration, so you can request a nearby car by tapping the Uber icon and then logging into the company’s mobile website after it automatically loads in your browser. If you’re a Uber lover, this is an incredibly handy addition. Unfortunately, Transit doesn’t launch the Uber mobile app, just the mobile site.
Map and Trip Planner
Tapping the X17 bus’s entry opened an option menu that let me view a time schedule or launch a map. The map not only accurately displayed my location, but also a bus icon that represented the vehicle as it approached—very cool. Another cool feature: If you live in New York City and participate in the Citi Bike bicycle-sharing program, you’ll be happy to know that Transit’s map displays Citi Bike docking stations as well as the number of available rides.
If you want to know how to go from here to there, Transit’s got you covered. Transit’s trip planner works very much like HopStop in that you key in your current location and the destination, and receive the best customized combination of foot and public transit to get you to get you there. It proved very accurate in my tests while dashing about Cherry Hill, New Jersey and Brooklyn, New York. You can customize the results so that Transit factors in not only public transportation routes, but also how much you’re willing to walk, too.
Citymapper incorporates a similar feature, but adds Meet Me Somewhere, which eliminates a lot of confusion when you want to rendezvous with a friend. Here’s how it works: You select Meet Me Somewhere, pick a location on the map, tap Share Location, and then share the auto-generated link via email, Google Hangouts, or other method of contact. The recipient simply opens the link and keys in his or her location to get HotStop-like transportation directions. I’d love to see Transit add a similar feature in the near future.
Are You Gonna Go My Way?
If you’re in the hunt for a public transportation Android app, look no further than Transit. Citymapper is a very competent challenger, but Transit’s cleaner interface, Uber integration, and wider availability (it works in more than 80 cities!) makes it the top dog and PCMag’s Editors’ Choice for Android transportation apps.
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