GOVERNOR PATRICK GETS FIRST-HAND LOOK AT MBTA COMMUTER SERVICE UPGRADES

CHELSEA – Monday, February 1, 2010 – This morning Governor Patrick rode the 111 bus from Chelsea to Boston to experience the MBTA’s new real-time arrival trial system in person.

In November 2009, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and MBTA released data feeds of real-time GPS locations for five popular bus routes. Over the past two months, eight applications have been created at no cost to taxpayers that operate on numerous platforms, including a touch-tone phone or SMS messaging, basic websites, desktop widgets, iPhone apps, Android devices and LED signs.

Last week, the MBTA also launched a new tool on its website, www.mbta.com, dubbed "T-Tracker" that includes real-time location and arrival prediction information for the five bus routes. Included in the real-time trial feed are the 39 (serving Jamaica Plain, the Longwood Medical Area and Back Bay in Boston), 111, 114, 116 and 117 (serving Haymarket Station, East Boston, Chelsea and Revere).

More information on transportation and other Massachusetts government data is available on www.mass.gov/data, the Commonwealth’s Open Data Initiative site.

Additional and full size photos available on Governor Patrick’s Flickr Account.