My current home is in Toronto and as an Android user and occasionally frustrated TTC patron, it was incumbent upon me to find a tool that increased the likelihood of making that elusive streetcar or bus.
Transit Now Toronto is the best example of an Android app that covers most of the bases for a TTC app. It finds a GPS signal quickly, is able to track both streetcars and buses to the minute, and while it doesn’t have the prettiest interface, is by far the most usable of the few TTC apps I tried. It’s also made by a single person, and the $1.99 Plus version goes a long way to ensuring continued development of an excellent app. This is a win-win in my books.
There are many ways to find your way: you can select your stop manually to find the GPS location, check nearby stops using your GPS location, enter the six-digit stop code, find it on a map, or pull up a list of your favourite stops. Once entered there is the option of setting a timer, so if you’re inside a Tim Hortons to get out of the rain or snow, you can get an alert a few minutes before you have to leave.
One of my favourite features is “There Yet?” which sets a timer to your destination stop. You can then promptly fall asleep and be buzzed when your location is coming up.
There are numerous visual and notification tweaks to add to the experience, though I’d love to see the app redesigned according to the Android 4.0 Holo guidelines.
Most of the features are available in the free version, but we’d recommend springing the $1.99 for the Plus version.
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