Real-time data is now available for ALL New York City subways | Hacker News Reader

Real-time data is now available for ALL New York City subways

medium.com

23 pointsmjlyons7 comments

This headline got me excited that MTA would have real time, official data. But, it's just in the Transit app. It's a clever solution to a real problem. If Transit was really nice, they would expose this datafeed to developers. I created the only Alexa app that uses the official MTA feed for arrival times of the numbered lines (plus the L and S). I'd love to add the lettered lines to it if I could tap into Transit's feed. I presume they won't expose this data, though, since it's thier app's key value add :(

NextSubway skill link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N9MO4DT/

I've accentually contemplated illegally install RFID badges on trains and and a reader & Raspbery Pi in the station (under the platform) now that wifi/cellular is available at the station. Needless to say, I've talked myself out of it.

It's been 9 years since countdown clocks were installed on 2,3,4,5,6 and no progress since then.

CBTC is nearly done on the 7, and will start on the qbl soon. There's been a ton of progress, it's just really complicated.

Oh, the L has CBTC too

I've thought about doing the same with image recognition and/or vibration sensors...

This is incredible, and even more incredible is that it's taken this long.

Seattle has had a similar app, One Bus Away, for busses, for a long time: http://onebusaway.org.

Comparing an underground rail system to a surface bus system is apples and oranges.

What lets the transit app do this is a that the MTA just enable Wi-Fi and cell signals in all underground stations after a long build-out so that the data can actually be collected system wide from riders using their app.

Sydney Australia has had this for several years, including through it's various tunnels. Whilst the majority of the network is above ground, the inner-city is underground. The telcos here spent a lot of money/time in getting 100% coverage through the tunnels in ~2011 though, which definitely enabled something like this.

Glad to hear that cell signal is finally reaching across the subway network - when I was last in NYC it drove me nuts not being able to just browse on my phone whilst waiting for a train.

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