INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
There a new app coming out of Google Area 120 incubator that could help New York City subway commuters navigate the ever-growing number of
delays.
While the Pigeon app is already live on the Apple App store, it currently requires an invite code to access, so I wasn&t able to try
it out myself.
However, the Pigeon website describes it as a way for users save their favorite routes, then get recommendations on which
route to take on a given day based on delays and crowds reported by other users
It almost like a transit-oriented version of Google-owned navigation app Waze.
&After years of living in New York City and commuting on the
subway, the Pigeon team knows first-hand that public transit can be frustratingly unpredictable,& the website says
&So when we started this project, we decided to create a product that lets subway riders help each other avoid delays, crowds, and incidents
that make can make commuting so stressful.&
As a New Yorker myself, I mostly rely on Google Maps for subway navigation — it does a
reasonably good job of including arrival times and information about delays provided by the MTA, but there definitely room for more
up-to-date and accurate data
Plus, I usually don&t check the app on my normal commute, which can mean I end up late to important meetings, or missing them entirely, due
to an unexpected delay.
Startups like Transit (backed by Accel Partners) and Moovit (backed by Sequoia and Intel Capital) are also trying to
offer better navigation for public transit commuters.
When asked about the app, a Google spokesperson sent us the following statement:
One
of the many projects that we&re working on within Area 120 is Pigeon, an iOS app that helps New York City subway goers find the best route
with live alerts from other riders
Like other projects within Area 120, it a very early experiment so there aren&t many details to share right now.
