Google Maps

Google Maps contains a transit trip planner, which is available for several devices including Android mobile phones, iPhones, and Blackberries. Features vary by mobile platform. Currently, Google Maps for Mobile seems to focus primarily on Android, although other platforms such as Windows Mobile and Java Micro Edition have been supported in the past. New iPhones with iOS6 will not have Google Maps or transit navigation features (see the “Transit App for iOS6 and Beyond” section below) . Google Maps for mobile supports location-positioning on all devices that offer GPS features. Google Maps for Android devices offers the most complete feature-set, including a “Transit Navigation” feature that notifies transit passengers when they need to make transfers and alight from the vehicle for their destination.

The Google Maps transit trip planner is currently implemented for most transit agencies that publish GTFS, as Google was the first consumer of the GTFS format. Transit agencies participate through the Google Transit Partner Program , which is cost-free.

Google also provides a Hotel Finder site , which allows the user to easily find hotels within an estimated transit and walking distance of a chosen location on the map.

Beginning in June 2012, transit information was added to the Google Maps Application Programming Interface (API) . This allows third-party applications to query Google’s Directions API for transit directions and other information about transit services.