Metropia’s User Informatics provides transit users with personalized and timely notifications about planned and unplanned events that may impact their upcoming transit trip.
Overview
Metropia’s User Informatics platform leverages relevant data and individual user preferences to provide transit users with personalized, timely, and contextually relevant notifications allowing them to make more informed decisions and plan their trips more effectively. This entails mapping both planned and unplanned events (e.g., incidents, work zones and roadway closures, flooding, and more) to transit routes. Comprehensive event data is gathered and integrated with the existing trip planner functionality and the transit route timetable feature. By doing so, the platform can offer users a seamless and integrated trip planning and routing experience that takes these events into consideration.
Transit Alerts function in two ways:
1. Proactive Event Alerts: The platform's proactive event alert feature ensures that users receive timely notifications about events that may impact their upcoming planned trip or favorite transit routes. By leveraging real-time event data and predictive algorithms, the system can identify potential disruptions and inform users in advance of their departure, enabling them to adjust their plans accordingly.
2. Trip Planning/Routing: In addition to the proactive event alert feature, the platform offers robust trip planning and routing capabilities. Users can input their desired destinations, travel preferences, and constraints, and the system will generate optimal transit routes tailored to their needs. This functionality enhances the overall user experience by providing efficient and reliable guidance for navigating the transit network.
By combining personalized event alerts with comprehensive trip planning and routing features, the User Informatics platform empowers users to make informed decisions, stay updated on relevant events, and enjoy a seamless and efficient transit experience.
Illustrative Use Cases
1. A transit user searches a transit route timetable and sees an alert icon on the route search page. By tapping the alert icon, the user will be presented with a brief summary of the alert, ensuring they are aware of any service disruptions or important information before proceeding with their journey.
ConnectSmart app users can tap alert icons to reveal additional information on service interruptions within the transit route timetable feature
2. A transit user has tagged a route as a favorite route. As a result, the user will receive transit alerts specifically related to that particular route as they occur, even if they aren’t using the app at that time. These alerts will keep the user informed about any changes, delays, or important updates regarding their favorite route, allowing them to plan their travel accordingly and stay up-to-date with any relevant information.
Based on a user’s favorited transit lines, they’ll be proactively notified of service interruptions via push notification
3. A transit user plans a trip using the Transit mode or ALL mode options. During the trip planning process, the user will have visibility of route alerts on the planned results page. This ensures that the user is aware of any disruptions or events that may impact their intended route, enabling them to make alternative arrangements or adjust their travel plans as necessary.
Transit Alert icons are woven into the All modes search results so users can consider service interruptions while evaluating their mode and route options
4. A transit user has planned a route and saved it for future reference. Whenever there are alerts related to the saved route, the user will receive notifications through push notifications. This keeps the user informed about any changes or events that may affect their planned route, providing them with the opportunity to modify their itinerary or make alternative arrangements in a timely manner.
5. A transit user frequently takes a specific bus route on weekdays. Based on the system’s identification of this habitual trip, it will send the user alerts through push notifications whenever there are relevant updates pertaining to the bus route. This proactive approach enables the user to stay informed about any changes and plan their journey accordingly, minimizing potential disruptions to their daily routine.
Metropia’s Transit Alert System Framework