Real Time Transit with Google Maps

Google’s official blog published an article on June 2 detailing an important update to Google Maps: Real-time transit information. This new innovation will allow users to view relevant transportation schedules within the location in real-time. The real-time feature is currently available to six locations: Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, The UK, Netherlands and Budapest. The users in these locations can now make informed decisions by viewing which mode of transportation is closest, arriving sooner or have been canceled.

Karen Grunberg, Technical Program Manager of Google Transit, says the app gives you the best possible route and most accurate departure times. The unpredictability of commuting to work is one of the major factors of tardiness and it can affect more than just individual metrics. The Independent wrote an article in September 2012 and it estimates that every year, UK’s economy loses £9 billion due to staff tardiness. With Google looking to ink partnerships with more transportation authorities around the world, the app might save more than just your time in the future.

The app will also have a new display for public transport options if you’re not within the six new locations with real-time updates. It will show recommended routes along with the mode of transportation and cost. Android users will also see other options ranked in terms of shortest distance when you navigate from one location to another. The interface remain unchanged for iOS users, however, and there are currently no credible updates whether this will change any time.

As Google expands its already vast empire, it gives users yet another reason to switch platforms. As far as potentials go, it won’t be long before the giant search engine sees and shows everything for free. It is one of the very few reasons why the app is favored even in the iOS platform, as Apple continues to struggle to find a suitable rival for the product.