Hey, there! Log in / Register
If the Orange Line isn't on Google Maps, does it still exist?
By adamg on Sun, 08/07/2016 - 9:31am
Red Line? What's that? You'll take buses and you'll like it. Screen capture by Nat V.
Seems that this morning, if you try to use Google Maps to plot out a trip via public transit in Boston, you'll get back an itinerary that involves buses and the Green Line - the Orange, Red and Blue lines are now dead to the mapping service.
For example, asking it how to get from Back Bay to Roxbury Crossing via public transit, you get routes that involve either the D Line and the 66 bus (and some walking) or the E Line and the 39 bus.
Neighborhoods:
Topics:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Google gets smarter by the day
They must have analyzed the data and found what is commonly known -- the existing Orange Line rolling stock will be completely unusable well before the replacement cars arrive. Or maybe someone from Baker's office uploaded a secret plan to discontinue service to a Google Drive account.
Google, in their wisdom, is getting people used to the idea they'll need to live without this line.
Perhaps it's down temporarily
Perhaps it's down temporarily while they add Assembly to the map - Google maps doesn't seem to know that station exists yet...
Likely down
This would not be unusual, i.e. part of the data being down. The street view and GPS data is several years old in many parts of the city. This is not instant messaging or real-time info. At best it seeks to put you in the ballpark - assuming tha ballpark has been built.
I just went looking for a restaurant on line by address and while I got there by the G-Maps system it showed a vacant building, yet this restaurant has been there a number of years, so caveat emptor - buyer beware.
Googlemaps allows corrections
Googlemaps allows corrections - I have definitely submitted a ticket when an address was wrong. Not sure if any old person can ask to have something new added.
Same with the red line.
Same with the red line.
Seems to be a problem with
Seems to be a problem with all three heavy rail lines. Just for the sake of it. I tried getting directions to the Aquarium and it's telling me to take 116 or 117 and transfer to the 111 completely ignoring the Blue Line. Even if I use Blue Line stations such as Wonderland or Beachmont as my starting point it's still giving me bus directions.
Also Google maps is showing schedule info for buses only and not trains.
Apple Maps also just showing
Apple Maps also just showing Commuter Rail, no T lines. Must be a data issue.
Apple seems fine.
Apple maps is showing me the T lines, and routing me on the Red and Orange lines when that makes sense. Google is still pretending the Red and Orange lines don't exist. I also checkted Transit, a transit aware routing app on iOS. It, too, sees the Red and Orange lines, and gives me directions by them. It seems the problem is confined to Google, or their specific data source, with other data sources working.
A FB friend was having the
A FB friend was having the same problem earlier this weekend - Cambridge to Furnace Restaurant in Quincy, couldn't get directions including Red Line.
I just punched in a search - Upham's Corner to Fours sports bar in Quincy Center. It had me take commuter rail Fairmount Line in to South Station and then out to Quincy Center on Kingston/Plymouth Line.
I prodded it - under options I selected bus. #1 choice was it had me walk 24 minutes past several bus lines to get commuter rail at JFK UMass. Lower choices were a chain of buses through Dorchester and into Quincy. Nothing brought up Red line.
Google maps
Is kind of like the mbta, it's better than nothing. My experiences with it include recommending a uturn on a divided multilane highway, a 2 mile meander through unfamiliar suburban side streets rather than a uturn and a path that tried to bring me through the state police barracks on rt 2 or 2a, ( can't remember which) but the sign definitely said police vehicles only, which did not describe my vehicle. A decent road map and common sense are great supplements to Google maps. Even if you're as dumb as me you're still more intelligent than Google.
Also noticed on Reddit today
https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/4wkjif/anyone_else_finding_goog...