So I was handed the latest Metlink leaflet on my way through Wellington Station tonight and was pleasantly surprised to see Metlink have got their details into Google Transit.

What this means is I can use Google Maps, including on my iPhone, to request directions from any place to any other by use of public transport. It’s a pretty nifty feature. I tried it out on the train, asking it to get me home, and it correctly told me that I should catch the next train (selecting one that stopped at my station) and do a little walking. Of course, it didn’t know I was already on the train.

I do wonder whether this ‘first in New Zealand’ accomplishment had anything to do with this.

Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:11:37 +1300
From: “Allister Jenks”
To: info @ metlink.org.nz
Subject: Google Transit

Dear Sir/Madam,

I wish to bring to your attention the Google Transit service.  This is available through the popular Google Maps service which has long had excellent coverage of New Zealand.

With the service (Google Transit) now appearing on portable devices such as Blackberry and iPhone, and with the current economic and climatic situation, I believe it would be in the interests of all for Metlink to provide official data for this.  One of the key benefits offered by Google Transit is the integration of public transit routes with walking sections to enable point-to-point trip planning.  As Google is an internationally recognised icon of the internet, I imagine tourists would be more likely to find the information than if provided on a dedicated site.  Also, by participating in this service, you provide a modern and effective service to your patrons at little cost to your organisation.

For further information, please begin at the Google Transit Partner Program.

Sincerely,

Allister Jenks
Wellingtonian for 32 years.

To get and idea of just how comprehensive this service is, take a look at a sample routing to get you from the Whitby shops to Courtenay Place in Wellington. It did make me laugh too, as it also suggested I catch the first train in the morning which, with no bus service from Whitby at that time, entailed walking for 41 minutes to the station!