Trying to get around the Sound? King County launches multi-agency transit-trip-planner app

Before raising the 12th Man flag at noontime today, King County Executive Dow Constantine had an announcement intended to draw cheers from transit users:

Delivering on his initiative to better coordinate transportation services, King County Executive and Sound Transit Chair Dow Constantine today announced the launch of a free smartphone app that makes it easier for riders to plan trips with 11 transit agencies across Puget Sound.

The Puget Sound Trip Planner — available for Apple and Android mobile devices — allows riders to plan a trip that includes buses, rail, ferries, streetcars, and water taxis. It merges popular features available on existing trip planners and offers real-time predictions for bus arrivals.

More info, and the full list of participating agencies/services, can be found here.

SillyGoose January 9, 2015 (3:29 pm)

Very Cool. so now why doesn’t the D.O.L start doing this for prove of insurance before you get a drivers license or car tabs.

I can only hope we are getting closer with the launch of this.

brizone January 9, 2015 (3:29 pm)

Uh, Google already does that (aside from the monorail, which is for tourists). It would have been a lot more effective to make sure everyone is feeding accurate route info to Google instead.

sam-c January 9, 2015 (4:16 pm)

we don’t have a smartphone, lol (our budget doesn’t have room for the monthly service plans). I hope all gov’t services don’t turn into apps only!

West Seattle since 1979 January 9, 2015 (5:37 pm)

Sam-C, looks like they still have the online trip planner. Hopefully they wouldn’t take that away.

JasonM January 9, 2015 (6:12 pm)

Just tried the app… I tried to get directions from my West Seattle home to Century Link Field. It reported no available routes, when I’m a ten-minute walk from C Line and Route 21 stops. Sounds like they have some work to do.

Diane January 9, 2015 (10:57 pm)

agree with sam-c; not helpful at all for those of us who cannot afford to buy a smartphone

Trileigh January 10, 2015 (11:04 am)

I had the same experience JasonM did. Apparently the app doesn’t yet know about the C line, since it gave me a 90-minute route using 3 buses instead of the 45-minute, 2-bus route that the online tripplanner.kingcounty.gov site did using the C line that stops 10 min from my house. I’d love to have an app that really works well for bus riding, but it looks like we’re not quite there yet.

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