
Real-time data is now available for ALL New York City subways - mjlyons
https://medium.com/transit-app/how-were-bringing-real-time-countdowns-to-nyc-s-lettered-lines-482d3b8f9899#.oe18shfqb
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sahn44
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/](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N9MO4DT/)

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mtanski
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.

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JBReefer
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

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jseliger
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](http://onebusaway.org).

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simtel20
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.

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breeny592
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.

