North County Transit Breeze bus riders can now plan trips instantly on 33 bus routes serving North County using Google Maps, which now includes real-time transit information. The real-time updates for Breeze buses is the latest trip planning tool offered through the North County Transit District (NCTD).
Breeze bus users can use Google Maps on their computer or a smart phone. Bus riders can just enter a desired destination and Google Maps will show Breeze bus routes based on real-time results. If you like to plan ahead, bus riders can also plan future trips on Google Maps by adjusting departure and arrival times to see the best options.
“By accessing data provided by the NCTD, Google Maps now shares up-to-the-minute data with citizens faster than ever before”, said Matthew Tucker, NCTD’s executive director. “This type of collaboration is part of the NCTD's commitment to use technology to improve service to our transit customers.”
Google Maps uses a technology called General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format that was first established by Google in 2005 in conjunction with the Portland, Oregon transit agency, Tri-Met. NCTD has delivered scheduled transit information to the public via GTFS since 2011. Now, the live-feed integration allows riders to check on the status of their Breeze Bus in real time. Search results will display the next available bus, location, and anticipated travel time based a variety of factors, such as volume of traffic and any known construction detours.
Since the inception of Google Maps added Transit to the map in 2005, millions of people worldwide have benefited from an easy tool to access transit information. The transit directions through this open data source platform give visitors and locals alike fast access to public transit information, making the transit choice an easy choice. As an open data source, the GTFS feed is available to application and web developers.
