Bus Map

[firstfrost]

I've been playing around with the Google Maps API and teaching myself Javascript (Javascript Lesson One: "there is no here here"), and have proof-of-concept (that is, the routes through 100) for an MBTA bus map (because I never know where any of the busses go).

http://web.mit.edu/boojum/www/Map/

I find that I have really no particular knack for nice-looking UI, so if anyone has suggestions (or CSS files!) let me know.

As far as the actual functionality goes, bug reports and suggestions also welcome. (I can't figure out a good way to allow hitting return to work for the text entry fields without triggering a page reload...)

Comments

[spacefrog37.livejournal.com]

I am by no means a programmer, but it doesn't seem like there is anything like this out there. Is it somehow possible to overlay this data on a personal Google Map? I'm having a college reunion over the weekend and started making a map for us with Google Maps. But, the things we want to check out are spread out and the less driving the better (we can't really afford cabs). It would be great to be able to know how and if we can get around. I'd love to really be able to plan things sequentially somewhat, and have the possibility of modifying our plans visually on the fly, maybe with a mobile phone even. I guess like an enormous, lengthy pub crawl through the larger city.

Is your work open-source or would I have to recreate it?

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I stopped maintaining this (the search no longer works properly) when the MBTA web site (mbta.com) updated to have a decent Google map interface that displayed the bus routes. It's not perfect, but it does actually know where the bus stops really are, which my map doesn't, and the search-by-location works decently.

Anyway, my understanding of the Google API and license is that I can use data I extract from their API for my own personal use, but I can't publish it on my own.