Metro riders soon will be able to map out their rail trips, then scout out a nearby place to buy a slice of pizza from the transit agency’s redesigned Web site.
The new site, at www.MetroOpensDoors.com, is slated to go live Monday, offering what Metro officials promise to be a more streamlined and simplified layout. It is the first major redesign since the site was established in 1996.
“Benefits to the portal are really benefits to riders,” Metro’s Chief Information Officer Suzanne Peck told Metro board members yesterday.
The transit agency’s site has become a popular tool for riders, with more than 16 million page views last month, up from 1 million per month in 1999, according to Metro. It includes maps, fare information, travel alerts and a tool to plan trips.
Peck said the new site would offer fewer layers to sift through, meaning no more than three mouse clicks to get most information. It will have an advanced trip planner that includes drop-down menus of popular landmarks, she said.
The home page also will show the status of the entire rail system, with delays or elevator problems posted.
An interactive map tied into Google software will allow users to search for businesses around their destination.
The use of Google’s mapping technology is new for Metro, but the system has not linked up entirely with the popular search engine’s mapping tool, which lets Google users plan their trips by car, foot or public transit.
Metro has been in talks with Google since at least the spring on that feature, but Peck said they are tied up in legal wrangling. Google Transit already has more than 80 transit systems online, including local services such as Fairfax’s CUE Bus system and giants such as New York City’s subway system.
Metro board members criticized the agency on Thursday for not having worked out the kinks on that deal, but also for not asking riders, such as those with the Riders’ Advisory Council, to test the new site in advance of Monday’s launch.
“Are you sure you want to go live without having done that?” asked Peter Benjamin, a former agency staffer who now represents Montgomery County and Maryland on the Metro board.
“Yes,” Peck responded, later adding: “I am very confident.”
Board Chairman Christopher Zimmerman said he expects the site to have some bugs. “This is released 1.0 and you’re going to have to make modifications,” he said. “That’s the way it works.”
