Sudbury partners with Google to deliver online transit planner
Official says web tool may help boost ridership numbers
The City of Greater Sudbury is releasing an online travel planner to help bolster the number of riders using public transit.
"The more people use the [new] system, the more we know they're reliant on the information we're putting out there," said Roger Sauve, the city's director of Transit Services. "Hopefully it'll increase ridership as well."
The Transit Trip Planner is an online tool that allows people to enter in details of their trip in order to find the best route. According to Sauve, it uses street addresses, local landmarks, street intersections or bus stop numbers to find the way.
The app was developed with the help of Google using the Google Maps service.
Cassie Lachapelle, who spoke with CBC News as she was waiting for a bus at Sudbury's downtown terminal, said the app will be a big help to people who rely on transit.
"Or anyone who has a new location, new to Sudbury, because I find there's no more flyers, there's not always flyers there for where to go," she said.
Brian St. Louis, who was also waiting for the bus, said he thinks the new app will help riders get more value for the $3 fare they pay to use public transit.