The Metro Joins Google Transit™

Posted on: Apr 22, 2008

(Kansas City, Mo. -- April 21, 2008) Kansas Citians can celebrate Earth Day by committing to ride The Metro. Planning a bus trip is now easier with Google Transit™. In honor of Earth Day, April 22, the Kansas City Transportation Authority (KCATA) is launching a partnership with Google™ to offer trip planning at maps.google.com. “By partnering with Google, KCATA further demonstrates its commitment to technological innovation that benefits transit customers,” KCATA General Manager Mark Huffer said. “Having service information available in Google MapsTM allows The Metro to reach a broader audience, introducing them to the convenience of public transit,” said Jessica Wei, Strategic Partner Development Manager at Google. “It is great to see Metro join Google Transit for Earth Day. We hope this will encourage more use of public transportation." KCATA General Manager Mark Huffer says this partnership will benefit tourists, new and veteran customers. “For current Metro customers, the site complements The Metro’s trip planner by providing maps and stop location information,” Huffer said. “Visitors and new riders will appreciate how easy it is to search for the starting and ending locations, and the step-by-step instructions.” Downtown Council President and CEO Bill Dietrich said that the new partnership between KCATA and Google Transit exemplifies the innovative approaches being taken by KCATA to enhance accessibility of transit services in Kansas City. “This initiative removes barriers and makes it easier to access KCATA services that provide people an energy- and cost-efficient alternative for their transportation needs,” Dietrich said. “This partnership enhances the quality of life for Kansas City residents, workers and visitors.” Many Metro customers have used Google Transit to plan trips in other cities, including Cody Christensen. “Google Transit makes it easy for a person to access transit information,” MAX rider Cody Christensen said. “You simply type in where you are and where you want to go and the website creates a complete itinerary that tells you how long to walk to the bus stop, what bus to take and what time to catch it. It’s really great. You don’t need to know how to navigate each transit agency’s website; the format through Google Transit is all the same.” There are already nearly 30 transit agencies throughout the country with transit information available through Google Transit. KCATA introduced its redesigned website in March. [url=http://www.kcata.org]http://www.kcata.org[/url] features a vibrant new look and information that is easier to find, including rider bulletins, recent news and a rider guide. Google Transit uses the same scheduling data used by The Metro’s Trip Planner at [url=http://www.kcata.org]http://www.kcata.org[/url]. The service was created at no cost to the agency. Google Transit has information on public transit options for nine countries in 11 languages and is accessible for visually-impaired users. Google MapsTM mapping services also include driving directions, local search, and high-quality imagery. Google, Google Transit, and Google Maps are trademarks of Google Inc.