SFist: The First Rule of NextBus: There is no NextBus

webmonarch

Thu, 15 May 2008 10:16:34 -0800

Now that NextBus seemed to be totally up and running for SF Muni, it is an incredibly useful service. It's compatible site works well on my Blackberry, but, I wanted something a little easier and faster. So, I added NextBus support to my service MoDazzle. Simply send an email or text message to MoDazzle and get your NextBus predictions. All the details are at the MoDazzle Blog. I appreciate you letting me get the word out. Give me some feedback, I always want to improve it, and get more people out of their cars!

Bob

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 06:03:05 -0800

FYI: On some bus systems, drivers are given the responsibility of turning on the Nextbus system. That may account for ghost buses---such as the 33s that nextbus didn't show running while you were on it. It is also very convenient for bus driver who just don't feel like making a run. Turn off the transponder and take a nap/go to McDonalds, pee down the back stairs etc. After waiting over an hour for an inbound M near SFSU while seeing 8 outbound streetcars go by, I finally found the solution to MUNI "service": Just DRIVE BABY!

seamus

Thu, 18 May 2006 10:38:47 -0800

GREAT work, Matt! Great work. As a recent convert from a rail line (N) to a diesel line (44), I miss having the NextBus capability, but I was truly looking forward to the day that MUNI was all smart and networked and usable, so I wouldn't end up waiting 30 minutes to save a 25-minute walk. Good thing I didn't get my hopes up. Once again, bravo. And screw Muni.

Mike

Thu, 18 May 2006 10:29:54 -0800

Murphy is alive and well...just as they started to talk about NextBus, someone interrupted me with a work question. By the time we finished our conversation, they were on to something else. If you heard this, please let us know what was said.

Mike

Thu, 18 May 2006 09:35:22 -0800

Just heard that Nate Ford will be on KGO Ronn Owens program at 10 am PDT today (Thursday, May 18).

Richard Mlynarik

Thu, 18 May 2006 01:09:56 -0800

The sub-cretins of Muni simply don't want anybody to see things like this: Cable cars workers hard at work which was formerly available via this URL but is now censored for national security reasons. Muni simply can't be rescued -- the agency needs to be destroyed. Ride your bike!

andrew

Wed, 17 May 2006 22:00:12 -0800

I wondered what happened with this. You can still use the phone interface however....

NJudahChronicles.com

Wed, 17 May 2006 18:37:14 -0800

This is amazing but not entirely surprising. They have been adept at junkie logic at Muni for years. They haven't been honest in so long, they can't even keep their story straight. I have talked to the NextBus people and they really are amazed at the situation. I wrote my supervisor and heard nothing back. Too bad no one is challenging Mr. Mayor so we can force this into some debate in next year's election. I guess Muni, Maggie, and Mr. Ford and the Mayor get a free pass on this one. Sigh.

Ashley

Wed, 17 May 2006 18:15:33 -0800

When it does come online again, you must tell everyone. Wonderful expose. I'd been wondering why I can't track my 21 anymore. :(

Jamison

Wed, 17 May 2006 16:58:29 -0800

Was the administrative bug that NextBus doesn't magically make the busses run on time?

Ciaran

Wed, 17 May 2006 16:36:09 -0800

Google could buy Muni.

shazza

Wed, 17 May 2006 15:34:02 -0800

Maybe Google will be the new Nextbus, they seem to be great at this sort of thing. http://www.google.com/transit/help/faq_transit.html

Troy

Wed, 17 May 2006 15:07:40 -0800

Thanks for the info! I was wondering why i couldn't look up those maps anymore! Now i'll stop trying for a while. I swear Muni is trying to get me to use my car more.

KWillets

Wed, 17 May 2006 12:59:32 -0800

Damn, it's going to take a lot of basketball tournaments for Newsom to get around this one. This must be his new "Healthy Weekdays" campaign - walk everywhere, little people!

Leti

Wed, 17 May 2006 12:57:50 -0800

I'm guessing that among the people who are actually surprised by this there are very few SF Natives. Those of us who grew up riding Muni and attended SF Public Schools have so little faith in the SF Public Works that nothing can shock us . I realize that SF is a world class city and there should be more than enough money in our budget to make these things run efficently, but I have little optimism that they ever will. To paraphrase My So Called Life: asking how was Muni today, is like asking 'How was that drive-by shooting?' You don't care how it was, you're lucky to get out alive."

Mike

Wed, 17 May 2006 12:27:56 -0800

One of the things about Muni is that there is usually more than one way to get some place, especially if you don't mind walking a few blocks. With NextBus, we can make an informed decision. We may not have perfect information, but I'd rather wait on the corner where the bus says it is coming in 10 minutes than on the corner two blocks away where the bus isn't coming for 30 minutes. It is beyond me why they don't seem to understand that passengers will accept partial information, even if imperfect. This is an agency with 10 year old signs with inaccruate starting/ending times, and painted stripes in the street or on a pole for many bus stops!

Danny Dawson

Wed, 17 May 2006 12:02:37 -0800

Thank you guys for keeping on this. I agree with Nick that the more press coverage we see on this, the more likely we are to see some action. Thank you, mattymatt, for bringing us these answers. Muni needs to come out and give the public more information. We're sick of being in the dark about our NextBus arrival times.

cs

Wed, 17 May 2006 11:38:27 -0800

I thought I had hallucinated being able to access the 71. Ugh!

Anshuman

Wed, 17 May 2006 11:22:40 -0800

This is entirely ludicrous. I hope that in SFist's talk with Mr. Ford this issue will be put forward. I also noticed the "hidden" 21 line no longer working for me a few weeks ago and assumed the worst. Now it's been confirmed, but to an even more pathetic (read: beaucratic) level. Nick is completely right in that Nextbus on publicized lines is not always accurate, but as a frequent (and forgiving) rider I can live with that. I understand technical quirks or even the fact that all buses might not be equipped with transponders can lead to some buses not getting the limelight on the nextbus service. But, naturally, some information is better than none. "Beta" services are the norm for many, many web services and I think that as long as users are aware of this that the information should be provided. Hopefully others will comment to Muni as well (I just sent them a nice letter). Gah. It really gets my goat.

Nick

Wed, 17 May 2006 10:37:30 -0800

Press coverage like this will certainly help propel the issue forward. Consider writing a more thoroughly researched article for the Guardian or submitting this issue to the Chronicle watch (where they list that they've been waiting 428 days to fix some pothole).