[Mpls] Cool transit idea

[mike skoglund]

I would suspect that one problem with increasing ridership on mass transit
is the apparent unreliability of bus schedules.  I've had great experiences
with some routes, but have also had occasional bad experience with an early,
late, or missing bus.  It seems like there may soon be a technological way
to reassure potential riders that their bus is on its way:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3812897.stm
[...]
> Mobile technology has proved a surprising success story for the public sector
> in its bid to make services available electronically.
[...]
> And in Leicestershire mobile phone users can send a text message containing a
> six-digit code unique to their bus stop to a local bus company.
> 
> Within 30 seconds a text message is sent back giving the location of the bus.
[...]

It would be great to be able to send a message to the MTC with my station
and bus and receive a response estimating how long I have to wait.  This
would be particularly cool in circumstances where I could catch another bus
(e.g., wait for the 50 or 94, or jump on a 16?) or hoof it to a different
stop (e.g., if you live between Franklin and Riverside and want to catch a
2).

If the technology is feasible, this would be a great way to market mass
transit.

Mike Skoglund // MPLS (near the 7) and NYNY (near the A,C,2,3,4,5, and J,M)