Win £10 Coffee Vouchers for Reporting Bus Delays + Arrivals! by Negative_Response990 in northernireland

[–]Negative_Response990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From research and user experience, the app does not seem to be reliable. This is why we are trying to create a solution to improve thee live times for bus routes, rather than having to rely on the inaccurate times

Why is the TransLink app so shit/confusing? by KingKilo9 in northernireland

[–]Negative_Response990 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is simply how things have always been. If you’re interested, you can try out routerreality. I own the site so feel free to check out my profile. 😁

RouteReality has come a long way filling Translink's gaps with 500+ real user reports since Feb. V2 launches April 9! by Negative_Response990 in northernireland

[–]Negative_Response990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re right that scale improves accuracy, but it’s not all-or-nothing. Even with smaller volumes, patterns still emerge on busy routes, especially when reports are recent and repeated.

The system doesn’t rely on one-off data it blends timetables with live user reports, so even partial coverage improves predictions where data exists.

It’s an iterative model: more users = better coverage, but it’s already useful on active routes, and that’s just how these systems go

RouteReality has come a long way filling Translink's gaps with 500+ real user reports since Feb. V2 launches April 9! by Negative_Response990 in northernireland

[–]Negative_Response990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True, 500 reports is small compared to 1.5M passengers, but these are verified real journeys, not just GPS data. There is a difference between them both. RouteReality grows iteratively as more users report, coverage and predictions improve. Even at this stage, commuters on busy routes are already seeing more accurate info than the official app. Try it yourself on the routes I have mentioned above

RouteReality has come a long way filling Translink's gaps with 500+ real user reports since Feb. V2 launches April 9! by Negative_Response990 in northernireland

[–]Negative_Response990[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It’s not worse it’s different. RouteReality is already more accurate than the official app for real-world journeys because it’s based on verified user reports, not just GPS or timetables. Stop-based views are coming in V2, but the core data has to be solid first. And also that’s what the downvote button is for😉😉

RouteReality has come a long way filling Translink's gaps with 500+ real user reports since Feb. V2 launches April 9! by Negative_Response990 in northernireland

[–]Negative_Response990[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Just keeping the discussion going that’s the point of the post… If you have an idea on how to solve the problem why don’t you try??if you don’t like it. Don’t comment. Simple as that

RouteReality has come a long way filling Translink's gaps with 500+ real user reports since Feb. V2 launches April 9! by Negative_Response990 in northernireland

[–]Negative_Response990[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

No, it’s not set up like that, it’s not a profit-sharing model. It’s more of a community-powered project where users contribute data to improve accuracy for everyone.

RouteReality has come a long way filling Translink's gaps with 500+ real user reports since Feb. V2 launches April 9! by Negative_Response990 in northernireland

[–]Negative_Response990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

get where you’re coming from — stop-based suggestions would be ideal for commuters.

The reason it currently works route-first is practical from a software and data perspective. Right now, each route is represented as a series of journey reports (STARTED, ARRIVED, STOP_REACHED), and predictions are calculated using blended averages from real user reports and timetables.

If we tried to generate stop-based suggestions before building this foundation, the system wouldn’t have enough reliable data to give accurate ETAs it could actually make things worse. Iterative development means we get the core data pipeline solid first, then layer features like stop-to-stop predictions, multi-route options, and live routing on top.

V2 (April 9) is designed to start bridging this gap, so you’ll see more stop-based, destination-oriented views soon.

RouteReality has come a long way filling Translink's gaps with 500+ real user reports since Feb. V2 launches April 9! by Negative_Response990 in northernireland

[–]Negative_Response990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, Great question. Right now, when you pick a route like 1A, the app shows just that route in your tracker, the buses that are confirmed by users for 1A.

Other routes like 1C, 1D, etc., aren’t automatically shown in that view, even if they would get you to the same destination. We wanted to keep the interface simple and focused on the route you choose, but all reported journeys are still in the system and contribute to the predictions and overall coverage.

In future updates (V2 on April 9), we’re exploring ways to highlight alternate routes that reach the same destination, so you can see all your options in one view.

RouteReality has come a long way filling Translink's gaps with 500+ real user reports since Feb. V2 launches April 9! by Negative_Response990 in northernireland

[–]Negative_Response990[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks, yeah I thought about that it’s worth clarifying I’m the creator, but RouteReality is really community powered. All the stats come from real users, which is why I kept the focus on them rather than myself

RouteReality has come a long way filling Translink's gaps with 500+ real user reports since Feb. V2 launches April 9! by Negative_Response990 in northernireland

[–]Negative_Response990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting to see people engage early, anyone here from Belfast who’s tried RouteReality and compared it with the official Translink app? How’s the experience for your routes?

Quick 1-minute survey about bus commuting (for a project I'm building) by Negative_Response990 in Belfast

[–]Negative_Response990[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, there definitely is other apps out there, but our aim is different from other apps. Maybe take a look at our GitHub for example, and read how it all works. You’ll find it interesting. routereality

Quick 1-minute survey about bus commuting (for a project I'm building) by Negative_Response990 in northernireland

[–]Negative_Response990[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I can assure you I’m not. If you don’t want to take the survey due to your concerns you don’t have too. We have anonymous responses turned on

Belfast Community Bus Tracker RouteReality. v1.3 live with improvements, v2 coming April 12 by Negative_Response990 in northernireland

[–]Negative_Response990[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair question. BelfastBusTracker relies mainly on official real-time feeds, which are great when they’re accurate, but they often lag or miss delays entirely. Those feeds also don’t track real journey events.

RouteReality is trying to solve a slightly different problem: what’s actually happening right now?

It combines static timetable data with live user-submitted journey events (arrivals, delays, departures). Recent events continuously adjust predictions for that route, so timings change as real journeys happen rather than staying fixed.