NY Waterway Riders Won't Need To Ask 'Where's The Bus?' Anymore
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) - Tracking your New York Waterway bus just got easier thanks to a new GPS service available on your smart phones or devices like an iPad.
The 'bus locator' allows Waterway riders to find out how close a bus is to their current location by following red arrows on continuously updated maps of 10 NY and NJ bus routes.
The system for gathering data from bus GPS systems is already in place, reported WCBS 880's Paul Murnane, but now the information can go to handheld devices and computers as well as screens and company offices at NY Waterways.
WCBS 880's Paul Murnane gets the details on the new GPS system for riders
Podcast
A tech-savvy commuting crowd used to just pick up the phone and call with the same question, says company founder Arthur Imperatore Sr.
"There's a general flow of the buses that coordinate with our boats that is very efficient. That's what we sell," said Imperatore.
No one wants to stand out in the rain waiting for a bus, and the new system allows people to know where the next bus is and how long they'll have to wait.
"We tried to deal to a level of perfection in terms of hospitality, in terms of safety, in terms of predictability - the efficiency. So, one of the mysteries always was 'Where's the bus?'," said Imperatore.
Those calls have all but stopped since the system went in, said Imperatore. The service is free through New York Waterways web site.
The free buses serve the Port Imperial Ferry Terminal in Weehawken with four routes including JFK Boulevard East/Nungessers, INTRA-Site North Shuttle Bus, INTRA-Site South Shuttle Bus and the Weehawken Town Route.
Routes serving Manhattan's West 39th Street Ferry Terminal include 57th Street, 49th/50 Streets, 42nd Street, and 34th Street, and a special Downtown loop, making them the best choice for commuters or tourists. The buses can be caught at any NYC bus stop on their route.
