Plan your YRT/Viva trip in real-time on Google

YRT/Viva first transit agency in Canada to offer real-time trip planning on Google Maps

TORONTO, Sept. 17, 2012 /CNW/ - The Regional Municipality of York has partnered with Google to offer YRT/Viva riders new real-time trip plans through Google Maps. YRT/Viva is the first transit agency in Canada to offer real-time trip planning on Google, allowing riders to easily plan transit travel with up-to-the-minute transit information.

"York Region is very pleased that YRT/Viva is the first transit agency in the country to offer the convenience of real-time trip planning in partnership with Google," said York Region Chairman and CEO Bill Fisch. "York Region continues to explore new and innovative ways to bring the latest in technological advancements to YRT/Viva riders."

YRT/Viva real-time technology tracks buses by GPS, so riders will know exactly when routes will arrive.  Because regular schedules can vary due to changing traffic and weather conditions, real-time schedules take the guesswork out of trip planning.

"The YRT/Viva real-time Google trip planner is just another way of connecting with riders and making transit easier and more convenient to use," said Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville Mayor Wayne Emmerson, Chair of the Region's Transportation Services Committee.  "With traffic and weather conditions always changing, real-time trip plans keep current, accurate travel times at YRT/Viva riders' fingertips."

YRT/Viva riders can access the Google Maps trip planner by visiting www.google.ca/maps and clicking the public transit icon. By entering a starting address and destination, riders will receive a trip plan, complete with transfers, walking directions and map.

"We are pleased to be working with The Regional Municipality of York to offer the many benefits of real-time trip planning technology to riders," said Google spokesperson Aaron Brindle. "Combined with our leading-edge mapping technology, the Google YRT/Viva real-time trip planner offers a great travel tool for transit riders."

The new real-time trip planner uses standard open data, allowing any software application developer compatible with Google to easily access and integrate with YRT/Viva real-time information.  Easily accessible data promotes the creation of innovative future "apps" for smartphone users to further enhance options for YRT/Viva riders.

The real-time Google trip planner complements YRT/Viva's existing suite of trip planning options. RideNow                     real-time schedules are available online at www.yrt.ca, by email at [email protected] or phone at 1-866-MOVE-YRT.

YRT/Viva offers local and rapid transit services throughout all nine municipalities in York Region. More than 120 routes keep residents connected within York Region, as well as with connecting services in the City of Toronto and the Regions of Peel and Durham. Year-end projections predict YRT/Viva ridership will exceed 21 million riders in 2012.

For more information about YRT/Viva services, please visit the YRT/Viva website at www.yrt.ca or call the Customer Service Centre at 1-866-MOVE-YRT (668-3978).

The Regional Municipality of York provides services to 1.1 million residents and 41,000 businesses that employ 516,000 people

SOURCE: Regional Municipality of York

Media Contact: Kim MacGillivray, Corporate Communications, The Regional Municipality of York
905-830-4444 or 1-877-464-9675, ext. 1209 Cell: 905-251-6412 [email protected]