The Helsinki metropolitan transport authority, Helsinki Region Transport HSL, has released a new version of its Journey Planner. The service is exceptional among similar trip planners worldwide in that it is based on open-source code.
Keys to the features of the new HSL Journey Planner are the user’s location and utilization of real-time data. When the user enables location services on a mobile device or computer, the Journey Planner shows the real-time situation in nearby public transportation services: the user can see the nearby stops on a map, the services available at those stops, and when the next services will depart. Users can also track their journey as they travel.
With location services enabled, route searches are made by entering only the destination. The Journey Planner gives the user a fast, disruption-free route, and it offers alternative routes utilizing the entire Helsinki metropolitan area transportation fleet, which includes buses, streetcars, the Metro subway system, and commuter trains. The Journey Planner will also integrate the Helsinki bike-share system once this seasonal service is resumed in May. The Journey Planner filters out routes with disruptions. It alerts the user of any disruptions on the route and, as necessary, it can change the routing during the trip.
The Journey Planner is one of the most popular digital services in Finland with 150,000 daily users in HSL’s service area of one million residents.
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