Administrator

Running to stand still in the app stores

January 8, 2022 by Administrator

The one-liner: Please go to your app store and rate (with "stars") and review (with "words") the Clever Commute app.

More: For an app publisher, it's not enough to simply be in the app store. In order to show up in searches, I need to continuously:

release new versions of the app
update all of the info about the app
(description, pictures, promotional videos, etc)

I gladly do these things with passion.

Call to Action!

There are three other things that are incredibly helpful for keeping the app visible.
I CAN'T do these, but our supporters can:

Rate the app using the "5-star" system
Review the app (even if it's one sentence)
Install the app, keep it installed, and use it

App store steps to Rate and Review

iOS - video / written instructions
Android - written instructions

If there is anything stopping you from leaving 5 stars or otherwise-positive feedback, please give me the chance to address your concerns.

If you are looking for ideas on what to say about the app, look at these testimonials.

NJT Evening Trains to Avoid From NY Penn

December 12, 2021 by Administrator

In a recent post at Facebook's Delayed on NJ Transit Support Group. I shared the data for the 3 months between 1-Sep 2021 and 1-Dec 2021.
(it's also at the bottom of this post)

With eight cancels apiece, there was a tie for first place:

The 5:12 PM Northeast Corridor Line to Jersey Ave (#3725)
The 6:18 PM Morris & Essex Line to Summit (#6355)

Since the NEC is the largest NJT line, we focused on the 5:12 PM first.
A breakdown (no pun intended) of why NJT cancels the NEC 5:12 PM.

Date	Reason
3-Sep-2021	NJT did not provide a reason.
10-Sep-2021	NEC train #3725, the 5:12 PM departure from PSNY, was cancelled due to a mechanical issue.
13-Sep-2021	NEC train #3725, the 5:12 PM departure from PSNY is cancelled due to earlier mechanical issues.
25-Oct-2021	NJT did not provide a reason.
26-Oct-2021	NEC train #3725, the 5:12 PM departure from PSNY, is cancelled due to equipment availability resulting from earlier mechanical issues.
28-Oct-2021	NEC train #3725, the 5:12 PM from PSNY, is cancelled due to equipment availability resulting from earlier mechanical issues.
16-Nov-2021	NEC train #3725, the 5:12 PM from PSNY is cancelled due to equipment availability resulting from earlier police assistance.
19-Nov-2021	NEC train #3725, the 5:12 PM PSNY departure is cancelled due to equipment availability resulting from earlier mechanical issue.

Here are the overall results

Count	Line	Time	Destination	Train #
8	Northeast Corridor	5:12 PM	Jersey Ave	3725
8	Morris & Essex	6:18 PM	Summit	6355
7	North Jersey Coast	5:29 PM	South Amboy	3513
6	Northeast Corridor	5:16 PM	Trenton Transit Station	3951
5	Northeast Corridor	6:39 PM	Trenton Transit Station	3961

How I commute: What’s in my bag

October 24, 2021 by Administrator

I'm not selling or promoting any products here. This post started with what I keep in my bag...and then I added ideas based on feedback from this mailing to the Clever Commute community.

Let's start with the bag itself.

What's inside mine?

A 3-in-1 charger (something like this)
Emergency charger (bad for the environment...but not used often)
wireless headphones (not AirPods)
2 pens, 1 highlighter
ziplock bag of business cards
small pack of tissues
my housekey (I walk to the train, so why bring the whole keyring?)
bottle opener
a spare mask
And now that I'm actually taking inventory of what I carry...
I notice a surprising amount of hygiene items (toothbrush, toothpaste, foldable hairbrush, travel-sized mouthwash, deodorant and cologne).
But that's not a total surprise because it's also the bag I always take when I travel

Here are some ideas from the crowd (I tried to group them as best I could)

Hand sanitizer, lip balm, bandaid/small first aid kit, Advil, Pepto-bismal tablets, dental floss,
beer coozie
personal umbrella
Reading material (which does NOT need electricity), notepad
smokemask, headlamp, multitool, paracord, bandana
nutrition bars, water, gum, candy
pepper spray, lighter, multi-tool
eyeglass case, eyeglass cleaner packages

Release notes for version 6.1.1

June 17, 2021 by Administrator

Features and End User Experience

New ability for Premium users to see reason and end date
Users of free app now see official info from transit providers
Content sharers automatically get free Premium service
In-app icon changes for clarity and consistency

Bug Fixes

Font size on Departureboard
Hidden text on Provide Metrics page
Repairs to train metrics reports

Tech and Infra

Upgrades and investigations for tech platform
Enhancements to B2B platform / XML
Upgrade to push notification infrastructure
Fix handling of train schedule imports
Renew iOS Distribution Certificate

A 360 degree view of the return to the office

June 14, 2021 by Administrator

Context: I have a full-time job in NYC, but I run Clever as a passion project...using my own time and money.
This blog post is my point of view as a commuter.

Even though I built the Clever Commute business, I do understand remote work. Yes, I have a full-time job "in NYC", but it's been over 20 years since I did 5-days-a-week in the office.

But like many of you, I worked at home full-time during the pandemic.
As of March 12, 2021, I was fully vaccinated and started commuting again. It started with one day a week and it's now two.
Here are my thoughts on why I returned to the office...and why you should consider it, too.

I'm no stranger to working from home.

When my (now college-grad) daughter was born, I was one of the first at my company to do "work from home".
Even pre-pandemic, the culture of my office was for people to work remotely at least 1 day a week

I have seen the downside

E-mail, IM and voice/video are my primary communication/productivity tools.
I know it can feel stupid to spend 3 hours a day commuting just to talk on a phone from NYC.
All too many times, I have had the terrible experience of a messed-up commute home causing me to miss my daughters' swim meets, theater performances, back-to-school nights, family dinners, and bedtimes.
That feeling was a driving force for me to create the Clever service.

You probably feel that you (and your company) are getting by just fine with remote work..and you're probably correct. Actually, many employers are posting strong financial results.
But part of what is happening is not healthy or sustainable for our employers or for us.

Lift as you climb
By the time you become a suburban commuter, the data suggests you are at a point in your life where you are uniquely positioned to be a leader, mentor, and role model to others.
The less-experienced people in our firms need to see the behaviors of we who are at "the next level"...even if they are not asking for it. This affects both their careers as well as the overall strength and viability of the company.

Improve yourself...for yourself
This is a nuanced twist on the above. Years ago, my manager did salsa dancing as a hobby. He told me that he always learned something from every dance partner of his.
Can this learning happen as you work remotely? Maybe...but so many opportunities are missed.

Improve yourself...for your company
A Clever commuter recently told me that part of her work is to hammer out tough issues with her counterparts. She said that one of the keys to her effective working relationships with her adversaries is the fact when they meet in person, they have a few minutes around the conference table before the meeting starts ("how are your kids?"..."taking any vacation?"...). These engagements humanize the process...and set the stage for the constructive collaboration which happens once the meeting actually starts.
Also, don't forget the magic that happens after the meeting ends...as we walk to the desk/elevator with people from the meeting.
Those dynamics are lost when meeting start and stop like this:

Help our employers be better in a tight labor market
Companies are evolving to accommodate remote work. They may not have the model perfect at this time.
The 16 months so far have been an accelerant unlike anything we could have ever imagined. Employers need to know how to attract and retain talent in this seller's market for labor.
Help them get to the best answers for everyone involved.

Summing it up
Do I want to spend 3 hours a day going back and forth? No way. But as I recently posted on LinkedIn, there are some real advantages to having that time to read...learn...relax...listen to podcasts (and to see people in NYC).

Commuting is not the goal. It is the enabler of the dynamics mentioned above.

Clearly, there are two "poles": 100% remote and 100% in the office
Many of us have experienced the former...and I see very few employers truly expecting the latter.
Maybe there is a greater amount of common ground than imagined. But "Step 1" is to get back on that horse and be a part of figuring out what the best model is. For you, your company, and the people you work with.

I returned to the office after a year of working from home

March 27, 2021 by Administrator

I'm the Clever Commute guy. I have a full-time job in technology for a financial services firm. I started what became Clever back in 2006...during the Blackberry days. A lot has changed since then, but one thing has stayed the same: technology can address some of the problems with the commute.
Once I was fully-vaccinated, I started the process of returning to the office.
My experiences:

NJ Transit - I generally commute in via Hoboken and out via NY Penn Station.
Morning: the train was lightly-populated...and not all cars were open. The level of cleanliness does not appear any better or worse than pre-Covid.
There were opportunities for physical distancing two ways:
o no one sat in the same row as me
o we also tried to keep a free row between passengers

In my experience, everyone wears a mask. No one eats or drinks.
Since Newark Broad Street is a transfer point, some folks get out there to catch a train to NY Penn.
Detraining at Hoboken terminal is simple and safe.

Evening: A bit more crowded...but still safe and clean. I had my space and I did not see any masklessness.

PATH - The next leg of the trip takes me to World Trade Center. Again: sparse...plenty of open seats...mask-wearing. See comment above regarding cleanliness.

Subway - The lines I ride (2/3 4/5) are safe and clean. The crowds certainly can vary...but I did not experience anything worrisome.

Financial District - It's quiet...but not a ghost town. My favorite old-school deli is open...and so is Le Pan Quotidien. There are people on the streets. The bars and restaurants have created outdoor seats and bubbles. Stone Street is surprisingly vibrant.

My Office - It's quiet, too. But they are doing all the right things: Temperature scan...app-based health-check questionnaire...limiting capacity on elevators...goodie bag with thermometer/masks/sanitizer. I feel very safe there and it's nice to be out of the house...with true boundaries to the start and end of the day,

A note on Penn Station - As I previously blogged, the situation there is largely in the eye of the beholder. The LIRR section is under a lot of construction/renovation. The NJT and Amtrak areas do indeed have some closures...some homeless. But I also think that since there are fewer people there in general, we can actually see that which has always been there. I also imagine that the warming weather means that fewer people will be seeking shelter there.

Overall - The recovery will take a while...but the data shows that we have bounced off the bottom and that commuters are returning. Even in non-pandemic times, the commuter traffic ebbs in the warmer weather. Do you remember the traditional first-commute-after-Labor-day crowd? 2021 won't be as high as it was in 2019...but it will be worlds ahead of 2020.

Will you be a part of it?