Extreme MTA Website Makeover

Oooh la la: the MTA is getting a fancy website makeover! The NY Times previewed the redesign (the organization's first since 2003) — launching on Wednesday. Along with design improvements (goodbye drop down menus!), visitors to the site will also find real-time updates on delays and service changes. The paper notes that "a widget on the home page compiles continually updated service status for every subway, bus and commuter rail line in the region, along with nine of the bridges and tunnels operated by the authority." Everything is color-coded and categorized to make the site more user-friendly. Plus, they've added a HopStop-esque feature to help you navigate the city.

MTA chairman Jay H. Walder says, “We’re not cutting-edge; let’s not kid ourselves. But we’re getting closer” — and he might be right, there's even talk of an iPhone app in the future!

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By Jen Carlson in News on January 11, 2010 9:00 AM

Comments [rss]

1stephanie

Those dropdown menus never worked right for me. Seems I have bad hand-eye coordination, because I was always landing on the wrong page or I'd over-scroll and have to go up to the menu again. Especially hard on a laptop! Thanks for finally navigating to the year 2000, MTA.

Think2wice

Less is more. They should only put up the itinerary planner, service alerts, and map links on the homepage. The rest go under the tabs on top.

ohhleary

I like having the link to their financial statements on the front page as they do above, so people can stop making phony complaints that they hide the information.

ilovejapgirls

they probably 'hooked' up a website designer company(with kickbacks)......estimated cost of makeover.....2 million dollars.(an amateur could have done it for 10k)

ohhleary

Did you even bother to read the Times article? It was done in-house.

Spirit of 76

I've always hated the MTA site. Some of the worst navigation I've seen in ages. Just try finding the Transit Museum on the site. Of course, that's NYC government for you. The NYC.gov site is just as hard to navigate, if not worse, and so are ancillary sites like FDNY and NYPD.

jaycjay

"Of course, that's NYC government for you."

Except... the MTA isn't a "NYC government" agency.

Spirit of 76

I was speaking in a loose sense of city government. Not officially part of the city government, obviously, otherwise it would be under the NYC.gov umbrella. But it's a government agency and it primarily affects the city. Aside from people on the LIRR and Metro North, nobody else in the state would lay claim to the MTA. The rest of the state would say it belongs to the city and the city can keep it.

Justin

The iphone app will probally be out of service on the weekends and at random knowing the MTA.

just saying

The MTA needs a financial makeover.

JMH

What's so bad about drop-down menus?

Powerhugs

I wonder how the web designer actually charged the MTA - Oops I meant how much the MTA claims they paid for the upgrade...Sounds like this may have caused its budget GAP again.

jaycjay

"I wonder how the web designer actually charged the MTA"

It was done in-house.

bagelman

about time...even njtransit.com has a better site!

buttface

Don't be fooled. The new design still has 1,000 links to 1,000 pages.

Tell-tale signs of a bloated mess.

schadenfreudian mensch

Just ask a Latino.

Trilby16

But I know how to use the old website. Wah! I don't want to have to learn the new one-- I already have a job. And I'm sure the new one will suck just as bad.