News Q & A: Metro/Google Transit Partnership FAQs

Is Metro going to partner with Google Transit?
Metro has been interested in the Google Transit concept for quite some time. The transit agency has continued discussions with Google throughout this year about providing Metro travel information for the Google Transit Web site.

What is the current status of Metro’s partnership with Google Transit?
We believe that if we are to partner with an outside entity that we should look at what the cost-benefit is to that third party and look at ways that we can leverage that partnership into a way that has a positive revenue impact on the transit authority.

Currently, Google Transit cannot guarantee accurate and up-to-date Metro trip information and cannot provide Metro fare information.

During the past year Metro has invested significant money to upgrade its Web site. The new site and new features and capabilities launched on December 8, 2008. The site includes Google maps in the neighborhoods in which our rail stations are located.

Metro's Trip Planner offers a wealth of information on how to get from point A to point B. The recently upgraded Web site also offers customers real-time arrival information for our trains with the option of accessing it via a PDA.

What information would be available if Metro partnered with Google Transit?
Metro train and bus schedule information would be available in the Google map format through a partnership.

Examples include information provided on San Francisco's BART (http://www.bart.gov/index.aspx), New York's MTA (http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/index.html) and Oregon's TriMet (http://trimet.org/) Web sites.

What information would not be available if Metro partnered with Google Transit?
Google will not guarantee accurate Metro trip information. The company has not committed to updating its database frequently enough to ensure the delivery of accurate information to potential Metro customers. Metro's Web site and Trip Planner offer the most timely, up-to-date trip information. We believe that top quality and comprehensive transit information should be associated with our Metro brand.

The fact that someone may transfer from Metrorail or Metrobus to a jurisdictional partner such as Ride On or the Fairfax Connector is not part of what Google provides. Metro's Trip Planner does provide that critical information on connections.

Metro's fare information also would not be available on the Google Transit Web site although Metro's own Trip Planner provides the cost of a customer’s particular trip options.

Will Metro partner with Google Transit in the future?
Metro is in discussions with Google Transit and a partnership is possible if the issues listed above are resolved in the future.


© 2010 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority