Inside Track

More data = more options = less stress

August 18, 2014 by Administrator

What is going on: Our premium service, The Inside Track, goes well beyond simple crowdsourcing. Recently, we began rolling out new feeds of information which comes directly from NJ Transit, Metro North and LIRR.

Why is the info not in the subject line? (e.g., why does it say “[NJTT-NEC] New “Travel Alert” from NJ Transit”)
Short answer: Size.
We can’t control the length of these alerts…and they vary widely. To avoid chopping off part of the message, we put the “payload” in the body of the mail. We gave these messages a distinguishable subject (and differentiated them from subject we use for the free service).

What you can do if you DO NOT want to receive all these messages:

We are pleased to report that you have at least 4 options.

Be sure your time-of-day and day-of-week settings are accurate (to only get messages during your commute) (see how)
Block these messages entirely by blocking the sender (see how)
Block some of the messages by filtering by category (see how)
Use your e-mail program / device to build a filter on your side (some technical skill required)

As a commuter once said: Commuting is a game…and you win it with information. Let me decide what I want to use.

We agree. Therefore, we make these alerts available to you…and give you controls so that you can manage the flow.

How to beat the crowds at Penn Station

August 15, 2014 by Administrator

Here is a fantastic example of how a commuter can use The Inside Track to determine which track their train will be on…before it is announced.

In this scenario, it’s 5:58 PM and the rider is shown the track number for the 6:10 PM…with 92% probability (see disclaimer below).

The transit providers claim to announce trains “10-15 minutes prior to departure.” However, this train (announced 7:47 in advance) represents what we see based on actual data.

This example demonstrates the value we provide. If you were an The Inside Track user on this day you would have known your track assignment…

12 minutes prior to departure time and
2 minutes earlier than NJ Transit announced it!

Disclaimer: This is a real example from the Montclair-Boonton line on September 2, 2014. Probabilities will vary based on a variety of factors…and will change as scheduled departure time nears. Always confirm that you are on the proper train.

Step 1 – [5:56 PM] Arrive at Penn Station

Here is a view of the NJ Transit departure board.

Nope…the train is not posted yet

Step 2 – [5:58 PM] Check The Inside Track

Since we get our departure board data from the transit providers, it’s no surprise that we don’t list the track number yet, either.

But you can click through on that last column…

Step 3 [5:58 PM] – Your Track Number Prediction…with supporting data!

#1 – Your track prediction!
#2 – Track number history …as a pie chart
#3 – Track number history…as a table
#4 – Extra info…just to keep everyone honest 🙂

Step 4 – [5:59 PM] Still waiting on NJ Transit to announce the track number

Step 5 – [6:00 PM] They finally announce the track.

Optional Step [Anytime] – Browse the track history details for this train

We love to hear this

August 4, 2014 by Administrator

Unsolicited praise from a user of our premium service:

a tremendous service for anyone who regularly commutes into the city

Our datasources (it’s more than crowdsourced)

July 25, 2014 by Administrator

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

The beauty of Clever Commute is that we offer riders the full 360 degree view of their commute...with control over how/when the information is delivered to them.

Clever Commute originally started as a crowdsoucing company...but we have gone well beyond that. Here is a closer look:

User-generated content - We have tens of thousands of commuters who give you a first-hand look at what is happening on your commute. Our technology cleanses, curates, and removes duplicate messages in order to be sure that you get the most benefit from the wisdom of the crowds.
Official Information from the Transit Providers - Our technology talks to theirs...and you benefit. Through a variety of interfaces, we make it simple for you to access the data from your carrier. You no longer need to sign up with them.
Social Media - We scour the web for the best info for you. Sometimes it comes directly from your carrier. Sometimes it comes from others who share our passion for actionable commuter info. But it's always information about your commute. So it doesn't matter if (for example) you are on Twitter or not. We fetch it and deliver it to you per your preferences.
Historical - No one has more data than we do. Clever Commute was founded in 2008. That gives us years of context and history about every commute in the areas we serve. We use that data to provide you with the best information
Algorithms - Data is interesting...but it's fascinating when you do things with it. We have deep knowledge of the issues on each of the carriers we serve, so we know what triggers the events / alerts / tips which help you. You won't find this anywhere else.

The best part: you are in control!

Every person and commuting pattern is different. Users of our premium service can generally opt-in/out of the above as they'd like. You can also select the time-of-day and day-of-week that you want to receive notifications. You can pause your notifications when you are on vacation. You can even hit snooze and let us know when you'd like to resume.

Our premium service lets you manage the alerts from your transit provider

July 14, 2014 by Administrator

This is another feature of Clever Commute Premium.

Yes, your transit provider may indeed publish travel alerts on their web site. They may even e-mail some of them. But when you give them your e-mail address, you also may get unsolicited mails from them (promotions, corporate comms, etc). We solve for that, and ALSO give you these features:

categorization (with the option to filter-by-category)
color-coding (for readability)
delivery as text message
the ability to set delivery preferences by time-of-day and day-of-week
a way to easily pause/resume/snooze

And of course, if you don’t want to receive these messages, you can opt out.

Example (for NJT Riders). [Click to enlarge any image]

1. NJT publishes a Travel Alert

2. Our technology cleans, categorizes and color-codes it and sends it to you

As a text message…

or an e-mail

(inbox view)

(message view)

Inside Track – Track Number Predictions

July 11, 2014 by Administrator

For trains departing NY’s Penn Station, the transit providers have a stated policy of releasing each train’s track number assignment “10-15 minutes prior” to the scheduled departure time. However, that is a guideline…not a guarantee. Some trains are announced just a few minutes in advance. Also, there are instances where the train number is known by the transit providers…but not shared with the commuters.

The Inside Track (Clever Commute’s premium service) changes all that. We use a proprietary algorithm to dynamically predict each track number before it is announced by the transit providers.

When you click-through on history icon (right-most column) for each train, you will see a page with 4 sections: (click to enlarge)

1. Date range selector – Our model is most accurate when it looks at the largest pool (e.g., 60-day) of historical data.

2. Pie chart – historical track assignments for this train
(it will change as you adjust #1 above)

3. Prediction table – For a given track number, it shows
– Location: a list of tracks that this train has used in the selected time period. Our technology eliminates some tracks as options for this train on this day (e.g., ~~Track 3~~).
– Occurs: the number of times that track has been used by this train
– Historical Percentage: that number expresses as a percent of the sample size
– Probability: the Clever Commute probability of that train being on a given track for this commute

4. Day-by-day track history – track assignment for this train over the selected period

Important things to note

We continue to revise our technology, and the predictions will get better over time. Do not expect 100% accuracy.
The stats will change right up until the track is announced. At that time, the announced track will be set to 100% Probability.
Often times, information about eliminated tracks can be just as helpful as the Probability
Adjacent tracks matter! One platform serves two tracks. So, feel free to take a peek down the stairs and get a 2-for-1 view!
It is your responsibility to be sure you are on the right train. Always verify and listen for official announcements.