Inside Track

Inside Track – Track Number Predictions

Inside Track – Track Number Predictions

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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)

CleverCommuteEnhancedTrackPrediction

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.

 

 

 

Watch this space (and be amazed)

Watch this space (and be amazed)

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In the Summer of 2012, as a member of NJ Transit’s Developer program, Clever Commute built an app which gave commuters track number information in advance of being announced by NJT.

The information Clever Commute shared came directly from a NJT datafeed…and was delivered to the commuters in compliance with the NJT/Clever Commute partnership agreement.  Both sides openly acknowledged that the advance-track-number information was not 100% accurate/complete. However, Clever Commuters raved about this service.

NJT expressed displeasure with the fact that we were indeed using one of the data fields that they included in the field provided to us (and to all developers). Details of NJT/Clever Commute story can be found in this Wall Street Journal story.
To make a long story short: NJT stopped sharing that particular data feed with all developers.

However, Clever  Commute used this series of events as a catalyst to build an amazing suite of premium services which meets the needs to today’s commuters. We spent two years working / building / designing. After putting in over 1,200 enhancements, we are announcing the next version of The Inside Track – a portfolio of amazing features which empowers the commuters and gives them control over the data they need.

Today’s big news: Early-notice track numbers are coming back. In many ways our new approach makes “Round 2” better than before. 

Please follow this link to see all the details.

 

 

 

Twitter Timelines in The Inside Track

Twitter Timelines in The Inside Track

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This is another feature of The Inside Track, our premium service.

We know that not everyone is a Twitter user. Even if you are, you may not be following the sources who provide good info.

So, we make it easy by giving all of our users access to commute-related info from the Twitter-verse

CleverCommuteTwitterTimelines1

 

From the main page, click on the red gear…and pick Twitter timelines

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CleverCommuteSocialMediaBrowser

 

 

By default, we show you tweets for your primary carrier. However you have options to see other providers, as well as the major terminals (e.g., NY Penn, Port Authority and Grand Central).

It’s one more way we help you leverage the wisdom of the crowds.

 

We also show you the latest tweets from Clever Commute.

 

 

The 1% (not THAT 1%) and “why bus riders will love The Inside Track”

The 1% (not THAT 1%) and “why bus riders will love The Inside Track”

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Summary: Crowdsourcing is one important component of Clever Commute. However, when you use our premium service, you get the benefit of other datafeeds / sources. [Premium service = The Inside Track. See all the features. Sign up here. More info]

More: In Internet culture, there is a rule of thumb pertaining to participation in an internet community. It states that only 1% of the users of a social service (e.g., the free Clever Commute service) actively create new content. Yes – the other 99% of the participants only lurk. Statistically speaking, that’s YOU!

Of course, this matters if you depend on other people to do the sharing when there are issues with the commute…but none of your fellow commuters are sharing. Let’s cut to the chase and tell you why this all matters:

  • DeCamp bus lines (yes, the bus company) broadcasts bus-related info via their official Twitter account
    (Alas, Clever Commute knows that even fewer than 1% of our users are Twitter users…so this is not really a help)
  • The Port Authority of NY/NJ also electronically publishes timely updates regarding traffic and transit
    (although it has all the shortcomings of a non-integrated e-mail based system)

Oh, yes…we did! Just in time for Summer traffic: the two sources above are now integrated into The Inside Track! Now, our premium users can:

  • Opt-in/Opt-out of either of these new sources (just as they can for any sender)
  • Receive messages via fast e-mail or true text messaging
  • Set delivery preferences such as time-of-day/day-of-week
  • Use our snooze feature to pause alerts for minutes…hours…or until tomorrow!
  • Turn off all messages when you travel/are on business (but we know you like to see those when they don’t impact you: )

The timing could not be better. Let’s look at tonight, for example. The bus commute from Port Authority was indeed a bad one…but the sharers where nowhere to be found. That’s OK…automation saved the day!

At 5:42 PM: our integration with Port Authority provided the content for this automated e-mail message to our Inside Track commuters:

CleverCommutePABTFeed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At 5:56 PM: our DeCamp/Twitter integration sent this e-mail message to our Inside Track commuters

CleverCommuteTweetFromOther

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It matters because there were no other crowdsourced messages this afternoon. If we did not have this technology in place, you would have no way to know about the problems tonight. 

 

About “Favorite Senders”

About “Favorite Senders”

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Another amazing feature from The Inside Track:

Show some love! When someone sends a really good alert to the group, let them know you care! Add them to your favorites list.

We won’t share any of your personal information. But we will recognize and reward the people who are most-favorited by their fellow commuters.

Maybe it will be YOU!

The power to hide/block messages by sender

The power to hide/block messages by sender

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Another amazing feature of The Inside Track is the ability to maintain a blacklist / whitelist of commuters and data sources. Therefore, you can elect to not receive future messages from certain senders..at your discretion. You can also mark a sender or data source as a favorite (more on that later).
To block or favorite a sender, just click on the link in the message (example below).
To manage your list of blocked/favorite senders, use the show-hide senders feature. This is an option on the gears/settings menu in The Inside Track app. (click to enlarge this example for a message from user holb111)

CleverCommuteFavoriteOrBlockExample

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: There are a few special senders: the transit providers themselves!
Maybe you want to “show them some love” by marking them as favorites. OK, maybe not:)
But we just wanted to be sure you know which user ID’s represent the official alerts from the various transit providers:

Transit ProviderUser ID
NJ Transit (MyTransit)NJTTrainsViaCleverCommute
NJ Transit (Twitter)@NJTransit [beta]
LIRR (eAlert ®)LIRRViaCleverCommute
LIRR (Twitter)@LIRR
Metro North (eAlert ®)MNRViaCleverCommute
Metro North (Twitter)@MetroNorth
Port Authority Alerts
(Lincoln Tunnel, XBL etc)		PortAuthorityAlerts
DeCamp Bus Lines (Twitter)@DecampBusLines