#TRB2010AM
File under: NewsToday the TRB Annual Meeting begins. If you’re here and plan on tweeting about it, use the #TRB2010AM hashtag so that others may follow along.
Here’s a widget of what people are saying:
Beat the Traffic has blogged that their Beat the Traffic HD app is the #3 top free app in the app store for the iPad. That rocks!
View Capital Bikeshare in a larger map
The Washington DC DOT recently announced their new bikesharing proposal with a map. What a great way to use an interactive map for public involvement.
If you live in San Francisco and ride Muni, you might be all too familiar with some of their service disruptions. Now there’s a website that helps you let San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom know how they affect you. MuniFail is a new site that lets people tweet:
“Hey, @gavinnewsom! I was late for work today because MUNI was broken.”
MuniFail creator Mike Montiero spoke to WIRED recently, saying:
“What struck me the most about this, and other Muni incidents, isn’t the initial problem itself,” Montiero said. What compelled him to get social media involved was a perceived “total lack of communication between different points in the system and the total lack of plan about what to do when breakdowns happen.”
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“[Newsom] sees the tweets, and he shares riders’ concerns about Muni,” [mayoral mouthpiece Tony] Winnicker said. “He understands the tweets are another way for people to vent their legitimate frustration right now.”
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“The major difficulties I see right now aren’t budget-oriented or service-oriented. They’re communication oriented,” [Montiero] said. “The mayor isn’t engaged in the problem so he’s not communicating what’s going on to his constituents.”
New MyFord Touch Keeps Drivers Connected
File under: News
This week at CES, Ford announced their new MyFord Touch Sync, an integrated computer that can turn your car into a WiFi hotspot and display Twitter feeds on your dash. There are concerns about distracted driving, but is this the shape of things to come?
WCPO reported last week about Ohio DOT using Twitter for traffic updates. They write:
State transportation officials announced the pilot project Thursday. Officials will post Twitter updates whenever icy or snowy conditions impact travel on major highways in Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo.
Driving through Ohio this winter? Check out their Twitter accounts!
Google Labs just launched a new Android app to help you find parking. Open Spot works through crowd sourcing. As you leave a parking spot, make a note on the map. Then others can see the “freshness” of that spot.
From Read Write Web, DC’s OCTOLabs have printed stickers with QR codes to put at bus stops. Riders will be able to scan them for up to the minute information about schedules and services. Very cool!
Today we’ll be talking about social media in transit at the 2010 CTAA EXPO. Have you been following CTAAEXPO on Twitter? They’ve been doing a fantastic job of tweeting the conference.
If you’re interested in the presentation, here it is!
ZDNet has a post today about SF BART’s partnership with the geo-based service Four Square. Definitely worth checking out. Could this be a new way for transit agencies to follow how riders are actually getting around and why?
