Waterloo Region Connected
Grand River Transit - Printable Version

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RE: Grand River Transit - Elmira Guy - 11-26-2015

Seeing as I only come on here when I have a complaint with GRT, I won't break with continuity.

Went out to catch the #12 at Weber and Lincoln today. App said it would be there at 1:49, arrived at 1:57. Got to the mall to catch the #21 scheduled to depart at 2:30. Bus arrived at 3. No explanation, no apology.

I appreciate that there is a lot of construction around, so I can let the #12 slide on it's lateness. But 30 minutes late for the #21 is entirely unacceptable! I realize it's only Elmira, but the bus is full, with a lot of people in addition to myself waiting in the rain for 45 minutes.

Not a real solid way to encourage people to use the bus.

End rant.


RE: Grand River Transit - Viewfromthe42 - 11-26-2015

Just to be clear...what frequency is the 21 on? I'm looking at it and it says every 30 minutes. Did they miss a bus or something, if you were there for 45 minutes?


RE: Grand River Transit - Elmira Guy - 11-26-2015

The frequency is every hour mid-day, and 30 minutes morning and afternoon. Yes. The 2:30 bus never showed. Although the app showed the 2:30 and 3 arriving about 3 minutes apart.
No idea why it was so ridiculously late. No construction or delays from the mall to Elmira.

So from my place at Weber & Lincoln to Elmira, it took me a little over 1 hour, 45 minutes total time.

Not pleased.


RE: Grand River Transit - Lens - 11-26-2015

You're not alone in your feelings towards certain GRT schedules. The 10 is still a nightmare every Sunday. Only hourly service for Conestoga College, It's many students and the surrounding neighbourhoods. Buses are frequently full if not jam packed. I'm not sure what GRT deems to be enough demand for more service but it's painfully obvious that the 10 needs more weekend service.


RE: Grand River Transit - Section ThirtyOne - 11-27-2015

(11-26-2015, 04:07 PM)Elmira Guy Wrote: Seeing as I only come on here when I have a complaint with GRT, I won't break with continuity.

Went out to catch the #12 at Weber and Lincoln today. App said it would be there at 1:49, arrived at 1:57. Got to the mall to catch the #21 scheduled to depart at 2:30. Bus arrived at 3. No explanation, no apology.

I appreciate that there is a lot of construction around, so I can let the #12 slide on it's lateness. But 30 minutes late for the #21 is entirely unacceptable! I realize it's only Elmira, but the bus is full, with a lot of people in addition to myself waiting in the rain for 45 minutes.

Not a real solid way to encourage people to use the bus.

End rant.

Which app were you using? The GRT easyGO app? It really isn't very good.

I've found the Transit app to be much better, especially with regards to bus arrival times: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thetransitapp.droid


RE: Grand River Transit - zanate - 11-27-2015

(11-27-2015, 01:16 PM)Section ThirtyOne Wrote: Which app were you using? The GRT easyGO app? It really isn't very good.

I've found the Transit app to be much better, especially with regards to bus arrival times: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thetransitapp.droid

Bear in mind they use the exact same data source.


RE: Grand River Transit - goggolor - 11-27-2015

The Transit app uses GRT data, but it's about 10x faster and easier to use than the official easyGO app. However I've found with all the detours there can be issues with Transit app - for example, right now Transit app doesn't show the Uptown Waterloo or King/Union stops for the 200 iXpress, which were only recently put back into service.

The most reliable option I've found is https://busmaple.com/ - I check the map to see where the buses actually are, which lets me predict arrival times a lot more intelligently than the "Next departure" times on the apps. BusMaple also works on mobile a lot better than GRT's official realtime web page.


RE: Grand River Transit - chutten - 11-27-2015

(11-27-2015, 03:01 PM)goggolor Wrote: BusMaple also works on mobile a lot better than GRT's official realtime web page.

And the Understatement of the Year Award goes to...

(( thank you so much for this link! I was getting angry enough to build my own transit map that wasn't
awful on mobile, reverse engineering GRT's data stream ))

(11-27-2015, 02:48 PM)zanate Wrote: Bear in mind they use the exact same data source.

Near as I can tell, the easyGo app has access to the realtime data. Transit only advertises knowledge of the scheduled data (at least according to their app description on Google Play).

This wouldn't be a problem if GRT released their realtime data like they said in August(pdf) they would (still no sign of it).


RE: Grand River Transit - GtwoK - 11-27-2015

As someone who has never ed used the GRT befire: what's wrong with using Google Maps? Their transit data has always been plenty accurate from what I've seen in other cities, and from the work I've done with Google Maps, seems to be very fleshed out in KW too. Is there another layer to this that I'm not seeing?


RE: Grand River Transit - goggolor - 11-27-2015

Quote:Near as I can tell, the easyGo app has access to the realtime data. Transit only advertises knowledge of the scheduled data (at least according to their app description on Google Play).

Transit app definitely has the same real-time arrival time as GRT (Transit app has a symbol above real-time data to distinguish it).  However, I've noticed that the GRT and Transit mobile apps will sometimes have different real-time arrival data than is displayed on the signs at the bus stop.

(11-27-2015, 03:26 PM)GtwoK Wrote: As someone who has never ed used the GRT befire: what's wrong with using Google Maps? Their transit data has always been plenty accurate from what I've seen in other cities, and from the work I've done with Google Maps, seems to be very fleshed out in KW too. Is there another layer to this that I'm not seeing?

Google Maps isn't real-time data, which makes it pretty much useless in this time of perpetual detours and delayed buses. Also, every seasonal schedule update there's a delay of a week or two where GRT data disappears off of Google Maps entirely - GRT always claims it's a problem on Google's side, which I find hard to believe.


RE: Grand River Transit - MidTowner - 11-27-2015

(11-27-2015, 03:01 PM)goggolor Wrote: ...for example, right now Transit app doesn't show the Uptown Waterloo or King/Union stops for the 200 iXpress, which were only recently put back into service...

How new is this? The Uptown stop I knew about, but not the King/Union stop. We're getting closer to normal. But it's too bad the apps don't show it yet.


RE: Grand River Transit - zanate - 11-27-2015

(11-27-2015, 03:15 PM)chutten Wrote: Near as I can tell, the easyGo app has access to the realtime data. Transit only advertises knowledge of the scheduled data (at least according to their app description on Google Play).

This wouldn't be a problem if GRT released their realtime data like they said in August(pdf) they would (still no sign of it).

Transit is currently showing realtime data for GRT. Check it out.

As for how, well... I've spoken to them a few times, and they're an imaginative bunch. If they can create a transit network out of Nairobi's mass of independent Matatus, they can figure out how to take a sip from the same fountain the GRT easyGo app does. GRT and eSolutionsGroup aren't going to out-manuevre them... Smile


RE: Grand River Transit - Section ThirtyOne - 11-27-2015

(11-27-2015, 03:01 PM)goggolor Wrote: The most reliable option I've found is https://busmaple.com/ - I check the map to see where the buses actually are, which lets me predict arrival times a lot more intelligently than the "Next departure" times on the apps. BusMaple also works on mobile a lot better than GRT's official realtime web page.

Thank you! I did not know the BusMaple page even existed.


RE: Grand River Transit - KevinL - 11-27-2015

(11-27-2015, 03:15 PM)chutten Wrote: This wouldn't be a problem if GRT released their realtime data like they said in August(pdf) they would (still no sign of it).

The Region has found this to be a double-edged sword, as every single delay would be able to be tracked in real time by any interested member of the public and the statistics generated be presented without bias or staff involvement. This potential accountability is giving them pause, in the truest sense.


RE: Grand River Transit - goggolor - 11-27-2015

(11-27-2015, 04:09 PM)MidTowner Wrote: How new is this? The Uptown stop I knew about, but not the King/Union stop. We're getting closer to normal. But it's too bad the apps don't show it yet.

King/Union was the replacement stop for GRH when King St south of Union was closed earlier this year. King/Union and Uptown Waterloo were both put back into service last Tuesday when King St north of Union was temporarily repaved for the winter. But it was only this morning that the King/Union stop appeared on the easyGo real time app, and it's still missing from the easyGO web interfaces.