Different mobile apps help us negotiate our journeys using transit, trails, walking grids, etc. A few apps even provide reviews of different businesses from the general public or your trusted connections. There are different apps for both, but what I find most helpful is the mobile Google Maps transit option. It’s not so much just for the transit feature itself, but being able to combine it with ratings and reviews of places I may want to visit.
Bryn Mawr Pizza and Deli happens to be a favorite of mine. Google them on your mobile device and you’ll see something like this:
Bryn Mawr Pizza and Deli
Scroll down to see other reviews. Sounds like my next trip will be for a Dougwich:
Reviews for Bryn Mawr Pizza and Deli
And of course, the transit app itself is really slick. The Metro Transit light rail transit (LRT) is listed when available, but doesn’t show here since there’s no LRT close to Bryn Mawr:
Transit Options for Bryn Mawr Pizza and Deli
The same app can help with events, too. On Sunday, perhaps I’ll see you when I’ll be walking around for Open Streets Minneapolis: Franklin. When searching for the event on Google Maps, it brings you to the Hope Community Center, the event’s base on Franklin Avenue:
Google Maps for Open Streets Minneapolis
If you’re near Target Field, there are a couple of transit options for reaching Hope Community Center:
Transit Options
Beyond the Google app, if you are planning to go to Open Streets on Sunday, you can take advantage of Metro Transit’s free rides from 9 AM to 5 PM. It’s a quick process where you click and take a two question survey to be able to print your free ticket or take a screenshot of it with your smartphone:
Transit Pass for Open Streets
Planning to walk or bike to a Gophers or Vikings football game at TCF Bank Stadium? The transit feature is current and updated quite well. From my home, they provide both the new Green Line and bus options for transit:
Transit Options for TCF Bank Stadium
Interested in cycling? The app gives you directions by using the wonderful Dinkytown Greenway:
TCF Bank Stadium via Dinkytown Greenway
Speaking of reviews, TCF Bank Stadium certainly has a mix:
Reviews for TCF Bank Stadium
Future features I’d love to see would be Nice Ride stations listed as a bicycle option and, while Google Maps does have a free transit partner program for public or private organizations providing transit to be included in search results, I would love to see car-sharing services like Uber included, too:
Uber as Transit Option
Another transit app I have on my phone is Transit Tracker which has a really nice feature you can use choose your your transit preference by bus, LRT or Northstar commuter rail:
Transit Tracker App
One feature I wish this app had is the ability to find routes by using business names with their Trip Planner feature. Currently, I would have to type in the address or cross streets as business names haven’t showed any results:
No Love for Coastal?
There are plenty of other Metro Transit apps out there as well. I’m sure many of you have favorites. Let us know in the comments; we’d love to hear from you!