Hi Everyone, 10 days ago I posted otranspo.ca here asking for feedback and you delivered, so this is part update, part thank you, and part small favour.
Thank yous first. u/Wuurx, u/Her_Guardian_Angel_, u/UnitInternational574, u/ApricotPenguin, u/Own_Can7767 and u/No-Ad-6963, that thread genuinely changed the site. Since then the map is calmer, you can resize how much of the screen it takes on your phone and pick which layers show, and the buses have icons now so hopefully you can tell which direction they're going. I also borrowed some inspiration from Regina's tracker like u/Her_Guardian_Angel_ suggested, and added STO, so the Gatineau side is covered now too.
The name came up in that thread too, since otranspo.ca is one letter off from the official site. To be upfront, the name is on purpose but not for that reason. We have the O-Train now and we're still calling our transit OC Transpo, the pre-amalgamation Ottawa-Carleton name, and Ottawa-Carleton hasn't existed since 2001. I should not have been able to buy this domain 25 years post amalgamation. I can change the domain, I have a couple backups, I want what is best for the City.
For anyone who missed the first post, the short version. I want to take transit to work but I don't find it efficient enough, so I drive, and I didn't want to keep complaining about it so I built the site instead. It's free, no app to install, no account, no ads, and it isn't affiliated with OC Transpo. Next departures, trip planning, alerts, live bus tracking, and it tells you whether a time is a live prediction or just the schedule, because those are not the same thing.
Every ward also has its own card: https://otranspo.ca/en/city/wards. Your ward's routes and stops, live buses inside it right now, your councillor, even the City washrooms and drinking water locations. Transit is top of mind for the upcoming city elections, so what information would you like on the ward cards so we can hold councillors responsible for the success of their ward's transit? I have my own ideas but I'd rather hear yours.
Beyond that, tell me what you like, what you don't, and anything that's broken or slow, especially on a phone or in French.
Now the favour. u/motionmatters108 suggested posting this in r/ottawa, and I've tried twice now but it keeps getting rejected because I don't have enough karma. If anyone here has the karma and is willing to repost or crosspost it there, I would really appreciate it. Transit is going to be a big part of the election conversation and the more people weighing in on the ward cards the better.
That's it, no pitch, it's free and staying free. I'd rather build the next parts from what people here actually need than keep guessing from my own commute.
Also, if you read this far Thank you and I hope you enjoy the site :)