PROVIDENCE – Local bus and trolley passengers now have access to a free online trip-planning tool, developed by Google Inc. in partnership with the R.I. Public Transportation Authority, and launched today at RIPTA.com and www.google.com/transit.
“With this tool, Google is providing a tremendous public service,” said Alfred J. Moscola, the transit authority’s general manager. The Internet search-engine company developed the online planner based on RIPTA route and bus-stop data and is providing the service at no cost to the agency, RIPTA said.
The electronic trip planner is integrated with Google Maps. To use it, RIPTA customers enter their starting address and destination. The trip planner then provides mapping and step-by-step directions for a specific trip, including travel times, connections and transfer information. It also will plan the return trip, if desired.
“This is a great enhancement of the RIPTA Web site. Our customers are going to be happily surprised by this new convenience and so are people who are thinking of using RIPTA for the first time,” Moscola said.
“RIPTA is very happy to make this service available to its customers,” he added. “It is incredibly easy to use, gives you all the information you need, and is perfect for the person who hasn’t used RIPTA’s bus system before. It’s a great incentive to use transit in Rhode Island, because it figures out the whole trip for you. It does all the work.”
R.I. Public Transportation Authority information, including RIPTA bus schedules and the free trip-planning utility, is available by calling 781-9400 or visiting ripta.com The trip-planning tool also can be accessed at www.google.com/transit.
