Translink journey planner "Opportunities for improvement"

[somebody]

Currently, it doesn't think of getting off/on the 417 at Indooroopilly train station
It also doesn't think of getting off the 411/412/417/433/445 and AM peak CityExpress buses at Herschel St if you need to get on a train/bus at Roma St. (I haven't checked every listed route there.)

Does anyone else have any others?

[ButFli]

I did a search for UQ St Lucia to QUT Kelvin Grove and one of the results is telling me to catch the 412 to Herschel St and walk to Roma Street Busway to catch the 333.

Most of the time it tells you to make a change to a Northern Busway bus at Adelaide St/King George Square. I haven't had it tell me to change to a train at Herschel/Roma yet, it always says Adelaide/Central.

[somebody]

I did a search for UQ St Lucia to QUT Kelvin Grove and one of the results is telling me to catch the 412 to Herschel St and walk to Roma Street Busway to catch the 333.

Wonder why it worked that time.  If you want to go to Bracken Ridge, it tells you to change at KGSBS.  The other odd part is that it doesn't suggest the 109 to the Cultural Centre in either case

[ButFli]

It suggested 109 to Cultural Centre for some of the options in my search.

I think it depends on the timing. If the only way to make the connection is at Herschel/Roma St then it will suggest that, otherwise it will suggest Adelaide St/King George or Central where the walk is shorter. It seems to rate shorter walking distance above spending less time on the bus, which is fair enough when you will be catching the same service anyway.

[Emmie]

It seems to rate shorter walking distance above spending less time on the bus, which is fair enough when you will be catching the same service anyway.

You can tweak it if you go to Advanced, where it give you an option to change your preferences - fewer/more changes, how far you're prepared to walk, etc.

But my irritation is that it always tells me to change trains at the first place where two lines meet, even though in many cases this would mean going from an empty to a full train.  Nobody in their right mind changes from the in-bound Shorncliffe to the in-bound Caboolture line at Northgate, but when I want to change from a Corinda to an Ipswich train, it always tells me to change there.

[verbatim9]

A good idea is to introduce real time train and bus tracker on the translink website and interface with google transit the same as Adelaide and Perth have done.

Examples of real time trackers on web http://tramtracker.yarratrams.com.au/

Integration with Google maps example Adelaide Metro http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=adeliade&daddr=glenelg&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=-25.335448,135.745076&sspn=43.031571,79.013672&ie=UTF8&z=12&lci=transit

Also an article regarding map overlays and integration from timetable information.

[Jon Bryant]

Real time is a must, combined with a graphical representation of the planned route that can switch to a google map type real presentation for the journey you choose including gps tracking of you location along the route.

See Londin Tube iPhone app for a great example of the first part above.

[#Metro]

The stop number & next three services would be very useful.
Quicker than typing in the menu or ringing up the transinfo call centre.

[somebody]

Adelaide St/King George or Central where the walk is shorter.

It doesn't look very different on a map.  Both places to transfer are a longer walk than I would like to have as a PT advocate.

What annoys me about staying on the bus is that getting caught in traffic could delay you quite a bit, especially with all those traffic lights.

But I guess that is what the Journey Planner is thinking.

[ButFli]

Adelaide St/King George or Central where the walk is shorter.

It doesn't look very different on a map. 

Are you kidding? There is an entrance to the KGBS on Adelaide St. The walk is about 5m.

[somebody]

Are you kidding? There is an entrance to the KGBS on Adelaide St. The walk is about 5m.

I was talking about the Adelaide St/Central walk.

[beauyboy]

Personally I think you are putting to much faith in a Computer program. So it makes funny connections, The fact it like all programs factoring in viables in is difficult. I have used this thing but I have also only ever used it as a guild afteral it is better for you to check timetables and use a bit of brain matter.

Donald

[Derwan]

I guess it's like GPS Navigation Systems.  Sure they'll (hopefully) get you to your destination, but if you have local knowledge, you'll often find a better route.

[somebody]

Credit where credit is due.  Seems that the bug where the journey planner didn't realise it was possible to change between the 417 and Indooroopilly railway station has been fixed.

In fact, I've tried a few things today, and I haven't been able to break the journey planner.

EDIT: I take that back (no credit).  Apparently, it depends entirely on the times you use.  For my Meiers Rd-Goodna example search, it still suggests backtracking all the way to Toowong so that the walk is (in it's opinion) only 150m, rather than 295m, even with a walk speed of 8km/h.  I would rather run the 295m (if it really is that far) to see if I can grab the earlier train.  You never know, the bus could catch up some time too.

[p858snake]

Going from Bracken Ridge TAFE (listed as Brisbane Northpoint something arather) to Ferny Grove Railway Station (Any service after X time) gives a few weird routes.

It seems to like giving me bus routes that you have to change with 3/4 different buses along the route. Including one where you already on the FG train and it tells you to change to Bus at Alderly..... ((Although I haven't seen it lately) I did tweet translink about that)

It hardly ever seems to suggest catching the 330 straight to Roma Street and then a train straight to Ferny Grove.

[somebody]

Going from Bracken Ridge TAFE (listed as Brisbane Northpoint something arather) to Ferny Grove Railway Station (Any service after X time) gives a few weird routes.

It seems to like giving me bus routes that you have to change with 3/4 different buses along the route. Including one where you already on the FG train and it tells you to change to Bus at Alderly..... ((Although I haven't seen it lately) I did tweet translink about that)

It hardly ever seems to suggest catching the 330 straight to Roma Street and then a train straight to Ferny Grove.

It's easy to imagine double change routes which would be theoretically faster than a single change at Roma St for such a commute though.  Changing at RBH for a 393 to Bowen Hills seems one obvious one.  Then you have the change at RBH for a bus to the Valley, changing at Normanby for a bus to Alderley and changing at RBH or Chermside for a bus to Windsor Rail.  There's an argument that the 330/340 should service Windsor Rail to allow such interchange opportunities.

[p858snake]

I've always found it faster to go straight to roma street during the day, but in the afternoons (past 3:30ish) I always change at chermiside to the 325 and go to new market since from the busway onwards it can get a tad hetic, As for windsor, I've changed at chermside to the 331(i think) and gone to it but I generally found it easier not to.

[mufreight]

A major room for improvement would be to provide accurate information based on actual practical operating times rather than timetables that are impossible for operators to meet.

[#Metro]

Every stop has a stop number or code.
Would be good to type 2 codes in and see what the next tram is like in Melbourne.

[longboi]

Every stop has a stop number or code.
Would be good to type 2 codes in and see what the next tram is like in Melbourne.

Yes, stop codes would be fantastic for an SMS-based service as well. They should be prominent and fairly easy to remember (if possible).

[#Metro]

It could be the suburb code + stop number (there are only so many stops in a suburb).

400128 would give all the services for Brisbane stop #28 (Presumably Adelaide street)

Alternatively it could just be a number (surely there are less than 400 128 stops in Brisbane)...