There’s never really been a great way to tell how packed a given public transit system is going to be before arriving. However, that could be about to change, if Google has its way.
Google Maps is currently rolling out a new prediction system to Google Maps that can let you know ahead of time if a bus or subway is expected to be particularly busy. This feature will arrive across 200 cities throughout the world eventually, but for now, Google is keeping its initial launch small, with roughly 18 cities supported.
Starting today, the feature will be available in 18 towns and cities in the UK: Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Coventry, Crawley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Reading, Sheffield and Southampton. Presumably, major cities in the US, Canada, and other countries will be supported soon.
Google Maps will also start showing live delay information for buses in places where local transit agencies don’t already provide that data to Google. In a blog post, Google said the app will offer details on whether your bus will be late, how long you should expect to wait and more accurate predictions on travel times based on traffic conditions. Google Maps will also show you where the delays are, so you know what’s ahead. That way, you might be able to give people a better sense when you’re likely to arrive, or figure out another route that avoids gridlock.
