Maybe I?m a bit slow, or maybe I just haven?t taken MARC in a little while, but I?ve found something that anyone who uses the service (or anyone who?s waiting for someone who uses the service) needs to know about. It?s called the MARCTracker, and it launched the last week of July. This Web page service is operated by the Maryland Transit Administration and is one of the coolest things I?ve seen in a long time. When you open the page (www.marctracker.com/PublicView/location.html) you?ll see a big, bright map of all the MARC lines throughout Maryland and West Virginia. Each train that?s operating is connected to this site via GPS transponders. These trains are represented on the site by a little box with the train?s number on it.
As the train moves along and the site updates, the box moves. If the train is delayed, the color of the box changes from blue to yellow to orange, going red for delays more than 15 minutes. The map, one of the best I?ve ever seen, shows Park and Ride lots, Baltimore Metro and Light Rail lines and all of the connecting points. It updates automatically. That?s a great benefit if you?re wondering when somebody is going to get home.
