Google Takes TheBus

Google Transit and TheBus in HonoluluTrying to figure out how to get from Waikiki to Aloha Stadium on TheBus? You could call (808) 848-5555 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., or you could ask Google, any time.

Honolulu’s award winning public transportation system is included in Google Transit, which can tell you where to catch which bus, where to transfer, and how long the trip will take you. It provides multiple routes if available, and lets you select a preferred departure or arrival time.

I actually blogged about this a year ago, when Honolulu was chosen as one of five metro areas in which Google would test the system. But as of today, Google Transit has moved from the wondrously experimental shelves of Google Labs to become an official, mature part of Google’s map service. In addition to the ever popular “Driving There” tool, you can now click a tab to “Take Public Transit.”

One feature that seems to have disappeared in the transition, however, is the trip cost estimator. Google Transit used to tell you how much you’d pay in bus fare, and compare that to how much it would cost to drive. In most cases, TheBus was your best bet per buck, if not per minute.

3 Responses

  1. xforce11 says:

    That is very cool

  2. Matt says:

    Not the fastest way to see the island, but if you’re on a budget TheBus is hard to beat. We have more info on TheBus here: https://lookintohawaii.com/hawaii/41505/thebus-information-oahu-honolulu-hi

  1. September 25, 2015

    […] expanding its map offerings around the world and in Hawaii, from dabbling in local coupons and adding bus schedules in 2007 to bringing its mobile Street View camera cars to Honolulu in 2009. There have been several […]

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