NextStop Blog

Metro’s transit route information is now available on Google Transit. For a geek like me, that’s very exciting news. I already use Google Maps to plan my routes for any car trips. Now when I search for directions from Point A to Point B, I have the additional option of searching for the transit routes as well. Google lets me select either my time of departure or the time I wish to arrive, and plans my route for me, removing guesswork from my trip planning.

To see an excellent video demonstration of how Google Transit works, put together by the St. Louis Beacon, you can view this BeaconTech feature.

The best part about Google Transit, in my opinion, is that it allows Metro to offer an excellent service to its customers without spending any money. Metro already has online transit planning with its TripFinder software, but people from out of town already know and rely on Google for help getting around, so it will be particularly useful for visitors. The downfall, however, is that if you need to go someplace Metro doesn’t, Google will tell you to walk!

Google also provides a handy tool called “search nearby.” If you take a look at this interactive map of the MetroLink stations, you’ll see that when you click on a station you have the option to “search nearby.” Why not plan a trip using transit, and find a new restaurant that you’ve never tried?