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Bus Routing/Transit Directions

Post by CxMxS
I've looked around the forums a bit and haven't really run across anything like what I am about to suggest. I understand that Waze is based on users getting from point A to B the fastest ad safest way possible but, I was thinking with the recent removal of google maps from iOS it might be a cool idea to move into user based bus routing also.

The concept could work exactly like it does right now only you would map out bus routs on already paved roads rather than paving new roads. Users could add stops, change schedules, and report delays in the current bus schedules. Relevant data would be subject to more trusted users and combined user data.

I think that this is an upgrade that might not necessarily hit your current direct audience but I believe it will bring in a whole new audience all together. I think the concept is simple and can see it working very well while being useful for thousands and thousands of people.


Thank you all for your time,

Curtis Stewart
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Post by CxMxS
I'm not sure you're thinking outside the box enough. Obviously this would be a different portion of the app and the data would not be intermingled. You would choose car mode/bus mode. I believe this idea isn't really as far fetched as you might think. There are plenty of commuters who would benefit from this if it were an option. As I mentioned already, I know it won't necessarily be as useful for its current users but it would open the door for a vast aray of new potential users.

You know, not to be super snappy or anything but I feel like your response was kind of a direct shut down to my suggestion. I mean, I believe this section is called thoughts and suggestions; not thoughts, suggestions and why they aren't plausible. I feel this could be a very useful tool for commuters to use and would only take a slight makeover of the app. All the ground work is already laid.

There were many people who relied on the google maps app for transit directions and then with apple, being the greedy monopolizers as they are, gave google the boot off their OS while replacing it with their shoddy apple maps. So I was really just suggesting a potential, very large chunk of revenue that could be won over.

That's just my two cents.
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Post by jasonh300
This sort of thing has been suggested before, and its always suggested that it would be a "different part of the app".

The thing is, it needs to be a different app, period. Jack-of-all-trades apps become cumbersome and end up with more features to have bugs in them. If it was a feature that everyone would be likely to use, it would be better, but in this situation, right now, we have a user base who use this app for a daily drive, and bus routes wouldn't be of any use to any of them.

If such a feature was added, it would bring in an additional userbase who would use that feature, but not the driver's feature. There would be very little crossover. So therefore, no reason to put both features into the same app.
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Post by thefatveganchef
Waze is designed to be a drivers commuters app, not an app for buses. Currently there is no way for Waze to tell the difference between if you are on a bus or not, and they don't have any plans to change or modify the main purpose of the app. Using Waze while being on a bus will pollute the data and cause traffic jam alerts where there are no traffic jams because buses are generally slower and makes frequent and sometimes long stops. There may be an app that can do what you are requesting already out there, you may want to check your local mass transit's website to see if they have one made.
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Post by thefatveganchef
This idea and similar has been suggested multiple times before, Waze is designed to be used in the car. Everything is built around that idea. Waze has a hard enough time being stable for that, what you are suggesting would mean that they would need to build a completely separate database and infrastructure to be able to accomplish what you are suggesting. It is better for waze to concentrate on it's main purpose and try to do that one thing good than try to do many things badly. Do not take it personally, it is not a personal rejection towards you, it is just that this suggestion doesn't align with what Waze is trying to do. It to me is like asking Waze to keep up with airport departures, landings, and flight patterns. Waze just isn't something that is designed to be used with public/mass transportation. It is a driver's commute application.
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