Feature

The “Recent Alerts” page is very VERY rich

The “Recent Alerts” page is very VERY rich

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Here is a view of what a Premuim users experiences on the Recent Alerts page

Understanding  #1 (the top row of icons)

  • The bell is a quick link to 6 hour snooze
  • The middle icon is a link to news you need
  • The third icon takes you to the Participate page

#2 – Control your view

  • A count of current Vents and the opt-in switch
  • Turn on/off “message box” (which is #5 below)
    The message box contains tips and tricks to help you get the most out of Clever Commute

#3: The scrolling marquee

A broadcast message to all Clever Commuters

#4: An example alert 

Route, timestamp, category, train #, train description, alert, impact, reporter, geolocation and so much more

 

The 6 hour snooze button

Identifing the train makes Alerts even more helpful

Identifing the train makes Alerts even more helpful

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Summary: The Participate feature allows you to optionally identify the train affected. That information is then shown as part of the alert (in Recent Alerts, push notifications, and e-mails [Premium feature])

Based on your My Commute settings (Origin, Destination, Primary route), and the time of day, the app queries official schedule data provided by NJT, LIRR and MNR to show you a list of relevant choices (see screenshots below).

More Info: People generally know the station and time of their trains (but not the provider-issued train number). For example, I know the NJT 8:14 AM from Watchung Plaza to NY Penn. That train just-so-happens to be #6214. As 6214 travels toward NY, it is known as

  • 8:17 AM at Walnut Street
  • 8:21 AM at Bay Street
  • Etc

The app now figures all this out…for both the Sender and the Receiver of the Alert!

 

  • The app dynamically adjusts the view of the alert based on the Origin of the person reading it.

Therefore, a rider from Bay Street is presented is told that the problem is with “the 8:21 AM from Bay Street to NY Penn [#6214]”.

We do our best to make the app as smart as possible for both the Sender and the Receiver. There are some nuances and exceptions (e.g., not all trains make all stops…so in that case we show the reader the Origin/Destination of the train).

 

Overall: We love it when our Senders identify the train when sending an alert.  Some final notes:

  • If you don’t see your train in the pick list, then please let us know
  • Senders can write in the train number if they know it
  • Senders should not put any train identify info in the body of the actual alert…because it’s now automatically/consistently added based on the official train number

Here’s another example that shows how cool this is:

Your Commute

Your Commute

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My Commute

Just the facts, m’am

You want to know what is happening on your line…and this feature is where you tell us about your commute.

(The Profile feature tells others about you…and the Comms and Config settings describe your app preferences)

 

The Clever Commute Track Predictor

The Clever Commute Track Predictor

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This page explains one or more of the dozens of amazing features found in Clever Commute Premium.

Play it safe! Please do not descend to track level until your train has been announced.

Here is a graphical walkthough of our amazing track predictor. No other app or service provides this feature.

Additional topic: Thoughts on track predictions

Screen Shot
(Click to expand)

Explanation

It starts with your custom departureboard.

It's 5:49. The 6:08 is not announced yet.

Click on the History icon to see the prediction
and the and supporting stats...

Look at what happened next:

 

 

Your Track Prediction

This train...

  • is usually announced 9 minutes in advance
  • has been on 4 different tracks...
    in the previous 20 days (see next picture)

Clever Commute gives you the edge

  • Identifies the higher-likelihood track
  • Eliminates tracks which won't be used for this train tonight 
  • Commuters supplement our algorithm based on what they see...and people they know

Step 1: Position yourself to beat the crowds!

Step 2: They announced your train...track 4
Have a seat, my friend. You deserve it!

You could stop right here...but read on if you want to know about our more-advanced features and analytics...

Do you like data? We do! 

  • We give you a summary of tracks previously used by this train
    • Pie chart
    • Table
  • We provide a slider so you can show more or less data.
    (5 - 60 days)

Note: As you see here, past performance does not necessarily predict the future (Compare Track 2 here to the prediction table above)

 

Here is the day-by-day track history.

Hmmm....based on those numbers...would YOU predict 4? 2? 9 3? Don't worry! Our servers and algorithms keep on crunching the numbers
...right up until the official track announcement is made!

Your Clever Commute profile

Your Clever Commute profile

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In version 2.0, we overhauled what used to be the Profile page...and broke it into new components. This post explains one of them:  


Your profile

Think of this as the Who are you? section of the app. It is not What is your commute? Nor is it What are your app preferences?

  • Switch between transit lines to see alerts on other routes
  • Easily modify your primary route, start/end points
  • App-based approach keeps you logged in

Eventually, we’ll expose some of that information in order to improve the experience for you and your fellow passengers.

We will not expose your name, e-mail address or zip code.

We may share

  • Your nickname
  • Your badge (e.g., Tourist, Commuter, or Rail Warrior)
  • Your start/end stations
  • How many people have marked you as a favorite
  • Your bio (users have the option to leave their bio blank)
  • A Commuting tip (users have the option to leave this field blank)
  • A URL/website (again – this is optional)