Real time bus arrival board installed at Centretown coffee shop

A team of Ottawa developers may have found a perfect solution to late bus headaches.

Beyond 2.0, an Ottawa based company founded by Ryan Androsoff and Sean Kibbee, have created the first real time, GPS tracked bus arrival board, installed at Treats Coffee Emporium on Kent and Albert St.

According to a statement on Beyond 2.0’s website, “The real-time bus arrival display [was] developed in partnership with OC Bus Tracker. We are able to use real-time GPS data from OC Transpo, thanks to the City of Ottawa’s Open Data Initiative, to create a customized display for the bus stops near any location in the city.”

OC Transpo’s GPS data became available to the public last year, and Beyond 2.0’s new screen is the first of it’s kind in the city.

The screens are able to map out exactly where a bus is on the roads, and their exact arrival time, all within approximately 60 seconds of accuracy, according to the website.

Beyond 2.0’s plan is to eventually install screens throughout the city, especially in more coffee shops, restaurants, and public areas where people can wait for the bus, according to the website.

The idea is expected to be especially popular in the winter, when commuters are often left out cold at the bus stop with no indication of delays or cancellations.

OC Transpo experienced massive, weather related delays and problems with buses getting stranded or stuck in the deep snow this winter.

The major snowstorm that struck the capital at the end of February caused delays of more than 45 minutes, according to OC Transpo’s Twitter feed.

For certain commuters, the bus arrival screen is a solution that aims to relieve some of the frustration with bus delays.

“I think the bus arrival board is an excellent idea, and I’d love to see it installed elsewhere,” says daily OC Transpo user Madeleine Adams. Adams says OC Transpo was at the root of many of her delays and problems getting to work on time, especially during bad weather. 

Beyond 2.0 plans to submit their idea to Apps4Ottawa, a city – wide contest.