Lafayette Transit System Adding Free WiFi & Google Maps Service For Bus Riders

Lafayette bus riders will soon have free WiFi, a first in the state, as well as a way to navigate the transit system using Google Maps.

In a bid to lure more riders, free WiFi for bus passengers should be available by July 4th.

The Google Maps feature will allow passengers to see the different bus routes from an app on their phone. It will also let them know how many stops it take to get to their closest destination, as well as bus transfer information.

Looking to the future, Warren Abadie, a traffic controller with the city-parish government says:

“Google also has a real time feed that gives you real-time information about the route. Is one running ahead of schedule? Behind schedule? And it gives you real-time alerts. That’s something that we’re going to do in the future.”

The city-parish government is also looking to add two more buses to the fleet, bringing the total number to 12.

I think this is a great thing to have for our citizens. I've seen, time and time again, people standing at a bus stop that you can tell have been there for quite awhile. With the Google Maps tracking, they'll soon be able to see exactly when that bus is going to get to them.

What are your thoughts on the added progress to our transit system?

[Source]