Trip planners, like maps, are an essential part of making transit easy to use. METRO was late in this regard; they finally got theirs online in 2005. That’s a big improvement. But it’s not enough to have a planner; it needs to be easy to use and give good results.

The state of the art in transit planners isn’t from a transit agency at all; it’s Google Transit, now available for 12 cites. Like Google Maps (which it’s based on) it will take location inputs in many formats — street number, street intersection, city name, zip code, even airport code. It put out easy to follow directions. And the route is plotted on a map that can be zoomed and panned:

Compared to Google Transit, Metro’s trip planner is intimidating, inflexible, unattractive, complicated, and terse:

But the real problem with the METRO trip planner isn’t the interface; it’s the results. Here’s my list of things to fix:

1. Call the rail line by its real name.

How do I get from Preston and Main to Fannin and Binz? By the 700. What’s the 700, you might ask? It’s the Red Line, also known as the Main Street Line, but the transit planner isn’t smart enough to call it that. Nowhere else does METRO call the Red Line the 700 — not on maps (there it’s the “R”) or on schedules, or even on the trains — the numbers on the front read “701” or “702” or “708” or even “720.”

2. Don’t tell me to ride a bus for two blocks.

My preferred route: walk 3 blocks block to light rail station. METRO trip planner suggestion: walk 2 1/2 blocks to bus, ride bus 2 blocks, walk 1 1/2 blocks to light rail. Huh?

3. Know that riders don’t want to leave earlier to arrive later.

In this case, the first trip suggestion is good. Then, as the third choice, it offers a trip that takes 4 and a half times as long as long, and gets to the destination at the same time. Huh?

4. Guess better.

So I want to take the bus to Texas and Main. So I type in “Texas & Main.” The Trip Planner’s best guess? Texas and Main in Beasley, TX. That’s in Fort Bend County, outside of the METRO service area and about 20 miles from the nearest bus route. Options 2 through 5 are four names for the same intersection, also outside METRO’s service area. Option 6 is in Willis, also not served by METRO. Option 7? Texas and Main, Houston, TX. Finally.

5. Favor rail over bus.

I do not know a METRO rider who would prefer to take a bus if he can take the train for the whole trip. But the Trip Planner will often show a bus even if the train only involves a block or two more walking. In this case, the rail trip is actually less of a walk; in theory, the bus will get there 4 minutes early, but that’s if it’s running on time. The train is easier to use and more comfortable, and if you miss it, another will be along soon. Why is METRO recommending the bus?

6. If there’s no result, tell me why.

If the Trip Planner can’t find a trip, it delivers a generic error message. It would be much easier if it said why: “Sorry. The last bus of the day is at 7:05 pm” or “Sorry. There is no Sunday service to this location.” or “Sorry. Beasley is not in the METRO service area.”

7. Show me a real map.

The Trip Planner shows a map that looks like this:

Huh?

8. Give me a backup.

In the perfect world of the Trip Planner, buses always arrive on time. Not in the real world. If the Trip Planner gives me 5 minutes to transfer from one route to another, there exists a distinct possibility I will miss my connection. What happens then? Please tell me when the next connecting bus will be along, just in case. While you’re at it, tell me how likely the bus is to be late.

9. Give me a personal schedule.

Most of my METRO trips are between the same two places — home and work. But they aren’t always at the same time. The Trip Planner knows enough to give me a list of departure times and arrival times for those two stops all day long. I’d print it and put it in my wallet. I bet I’m not the only METRO rider who would like one of those.

10. Tell me how much it will cost.

One nice point about Google Transit: it shows the fare for the trip.

11. Get Google.

Obviously, METRO needs a better trip planner. They should fix their own with better results and a friendlier interface. The may be able to get many of the same benefits, though, by going to Google. Google doesn’t charge agencies; they actually specify a format for providing data on their web site. Google Transit doesn’t have to replace the current trip planner; it could simply be another option. The good news is that METRO is considering getting on board (look for Mary Sit’s comment at the bottom). They should.

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