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Form Revised: September 1999

TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION

TO Commissioners

FROM Richard C. Ducharme

MEETING DATE March 22, 2006

SUBJECT Staff Response to Commission Inquiry – Google Transit Trip Planner

At its meeting of December 16, 2005, the Commission moved that staff report back on the possible implementation of the Google Transit Trip Planner at the TTC, and the associated cost implications.

In December of 2005, Google launched its Transit Trip Planner, an online service that provides directions to customers using public transit in Portland, Oregon. Google indicated their plans were to expand their product to other cities in the U.S. and around the world. Marketing staff contacted Google about the possible participation of the TTC in this project. Google staff advised that response to their service was overwhelming, particularly since they are not charging transit agencies or users for the Google Transit Trip Planner. Although at present it appears that Google would offer the service for free, there would be costs incurred by the TTC to prepare the back end of the data conversion / ongoing link to ensure that the latest information is being made available. Until Google is in a position to provide the system requirements to the TTC, these costs cannot be determined.

While Google did not offer a definitive time frame for working with the TTC, they asked that they be provided with TTC station, stop, schedule and route data so that they have a set of data to work with as they expand. Before a decision is made to provide Google with this data, it should be noted that at this stage the Google Transit Trip Planner is still a work in progress. This becomes clear when comparing the Google Transit Trip Planner to Portland’s other online Transit Trip Planner, which can be found on the Portland Transit (TriMet) website (www.TriMet.org). When you enter the same origin and destination points in the TriMet system and the Google system, the routing provided by the Google Trip Planner is often longer, less convenient and more expensive (zone fares) than the one provided by Tri-Met. In a December 12, 2005 Technology Marketing Corporation newsletter (www.TMCnet.com), a TriMet official complimented the Google Transit Trip Planner’s mapping capability, but suggested that riders not rely on the system to plan their trips until the site improves.

To undertake Trip Planning with current software vendors would cost the TTC some $2,000,000. However, given that there is so much interrelationship with the upgrade of current vehicle communication systems (CIS), the introduction of GPS, and the new offering of Real Time Next Bus information, the TTC will be undertaking a full system review of what

technologies and options are available. Once the TTC has reviewed the global picture of these technologies and options (and their related cost benefits), a recommendation will be brought forward to the Commission in terms of how the organization should move forward in amalgamating these various information technologies in the best possible way.

For your information.

Chief General Manager

03.42.42