LA Times on NextBus

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The LA Times today has an article on NextBus in Ventura. Basic gist is that GPS sensors on the buses allow people to hop online, see where the bus is, and see a dynamically computed time for the bus’s arrival at their stop.

That’s cool stuff, and it’s something you have to have for buses that have long headway times. For example, this morning I took the Metro 38 from 6th/Spring to USC. The bus runs roughly every 20 minutes. To make it to school for a 9am class I have to catch the bus at around 8:34. I’m always right on the edge, and until I see that bus show up I always assume I’ve missed it. As the article says,

“It makes a big difference whether you’re there a minute before a bus arrives or one minute after it leaves,” Schmier said.

Hopefully LA will be getting to this party sometime soon.