Lost in the NYC subway system? No problem. With CityTransit ($2.99), you don’t have to bend over some guy sitting on the subway seats to look at the map; this map is digital and travels with you always.
CityTransit gives you 5 types of maps. The MTA subway map is featured by default. The application also works to give you details on the various MTA lines (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-J-L-M-N-Q-R-S-V-W-Z – yup, all of those) and gives you information about every stop along the way. You can also click on the “Service” feature to see if there are any service advisories for a particular subway line.
The “Locate” feature on the bottom of the screen has a lot of potential for Augmented Reality, but for now, you can click on “Locate,” let the app use your location, and watch as the application finds your nearest subway stops. I found this particularly cool given that I’m on an iPod touch and it was able to find a pretty darn accurate subway station (though not the one I live near given that a river kind of prevents me from accessing my “nearest station”, so that’s not the fault of the app at all).
The Maps feature is useful, providing you with (upon double click, though this is a bit hard to figure out) maps of the Metro North routes, the Manhattan bus, the Long Island Railroad, the MTA subway, and even an antique subway map. However, I’d recommend that the CityTransit guys make sure the most accurate map is in the application. As an example, the current application features a July 2007 Manhattan Bus map, but the current map on the MTA website is actually from July 2009. Also, I live in the Bronx. Any chance to cover the five boroughs?
All in all, though, this application is super great. I especially appreciate seeing an Antique Subway map. As the wife of a subway fan, I felt quite proud flaunting my new antique subway map in front of the hubby. I’m sure he appreciated that. :)
If you’re planning on making sure you keep to your course in the city and want your maps at your fingertips, look no further than CityTransit. It’s a great application and has potential to be even better. (Of course, if you want to expedite your trip, be sure to couple this purchase with previous reviewed Exit Strategy).
