NJ Transit 4603 (Photo credit: Rrrodrigo)
NJ Transit recently blocked information to Clever Commute, a startup selling apps that published track listings minutes before they were posted at Penn Station signboards.
Track listings are typically posted by NJ Transit 10 minutes before trains depart, and commuters make a ritual mad dash through crowded corridors and down flights of stairs. Joshua Crandall, Clever Commute’s programmer, discovered the track secrets when he pulled operational information from NJ Transits’ data feed and sold it as part of premium service.
NJ Transit was not amused. Not long after a conversation with Crandall, they blocked data to his site. Customers are angry. Commuter Maddy Cohen told The Wall Street Journal that NJ Transit’s system creates chaos, saying, “It’s not an efficient and customer-friendly way to operate your system.”
Own a local business?