Washingtonians want Google Transit!

Google Transit gives directions from one place to another using trains and buses, shows you different routes and the schedules for each, and displays your route on a map. All a transit agency has to do is send their schedule data in a specific format and sign an agreement with Google. And it's free to transit agencies and consumers. 91 U.S. transit agencies are part of Google Transit, including MTA Maryland and the transit agencies of Fairfax, Alexandria, and Loudoun Counties. But WMATA's Metrorail and Metrobus are missing.

For a long time, WMATA has said they're "working on it." Unfortunately, they recently told us that they've decided not to participate at all. This is a very shortsighed decision for WMATA. The easier it is for people to find out about their transit options, the more people will ride transit. Keeping the data restricted, whether in a misguided attempt to coerce people into using WMATA's new site or for any other reason, only hurts riders.

WMATA has done a good job with its new Web site and trip planner. However, Google's enormous expertise building easy-to-use Web sites, and its legions of talented programmers, mean that Google Transit can add new features much faster than WMATA ever could. WMATA's core competency is running trains and buses, which it performs quite well; Google's is building Web sites.

Furthermore, many transit agencies from Portland to Hampton Roads, Virginia have released the schedule data in the open-source Google Transit format so that other software developers can create even greater innovations. DC's recent Apps for Democracy contest showed some of the many creative sites people built using DC's data feeds. We may not know about the next great innovation that will help even more people utilize transit. By releasing the data, we can empower those future innovators to the benefit of WMATA and everyone in the Washington region.

Please use the form below to send a letter to WMATA General Manager John Catoe and the members of the WMATA board to urge them to reconsider this decision. WMATA should help increase transit ridership and bring our region into the 21st century by releasing schedule data to Google Transit and publicly for the innovators of the future.

Make Your Voice Heard

Metro has seen the light! Metro General Manager John Catoe recently announced WMATA's intention to release schedule data freely for Google Transit and anyone else who can make good use of it. Thanks for all your efforts showing Metro how strongly people feel about this!

Brought to you by Greater Greater Washington.