STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — In an age when advances in high-tech communications are helping businesses owners reach out to clients, it’s almost expected that new technologies help guide our daily travels. GPS is not reserved for drivers only.
In an article in Crain’s Business New York, “Apps that get around,” writer Emily Laermer points to ways that new mobile technology makes it easier for New Yorkers to navigate the city by bus, subway, ferry and bikes:
New York City’s transportation system is constantly evolving, so it’s no surprise that local app developers are in the front seat, trying to keep up with it.
Jonathan Wegener decided to focus on the city’s subway system when he launched Exit Strategy NYC in 2009. The app allows users to determine where to stand on subway platforms based on where they want to get off, and “make every subway trip magical,” he said.
When he launched the app, there were just three other subway apps in the iTunes app store. Today, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, there are 56 iPhone apps, 24 android apps and seven BlackBerry apps for subways, ferries, buses and more.
In the past few years, the MTA has released data for software developers including a GPS-based bus schedule in Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn. The MTA now has a page on its website that provides developers with free data. “They’ve seen the light,” Mr. Wegener said.
