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We've all spent our share of time cursing late buses and inaccurate timetables — but this weekend a bunch of technically savvy types got together and tried to help fix the system. The two-day marathon event, Apps for SEPTA, turned out to be a civic-minded hackathon/love-in resulting in computer and smartphone applications, and one futuristic project that utilized an Xbox Kinect. "The biggest thing we achieved isn't getting stuff into people's hands — it's energizing the tech community in and around SEPTA," said Chris Alfano, one of the organizers of the event and a partner at Devnuts, the Northern Liberties hackerspace where the hackathon was held.
Early-stage ideas include JustMissedIt, an app that will tell you when the next bus or trolley is due, via text message; Septarity Report, a station display controlled by passersby; and BusMaps, which highlights nearby bus routes on a map. Mjumbe Poe of Code for America — which, incidentally, has created Councilmatic, a Philly City Council app, as well — helped create that last one and said he'll continue to develop it.
And SEPTA, which doubled the number of APIs (programming interfaces), in time for the event, is jumping on board. Mike Zaleski, SEPTA's director of emerging and specialty technologies, said next up will be making public real-time data on the Broad Street, Market-Frankford and Norristown High Speed lines, "if not by the end of the calendar year, then definitely by spring. If it's not out by spring I'll be pulling my nails out." Which means the days of uncertainty waiting for the next train could be coming to an end.
Photo: Courtesy of Mark Headd
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