Goodbye 2019 🎉
As we say goodbye to 2019, we have many things to be thankful for here at Tunnel Time. We launched in April of 2019 with one plan in mind: make it easier for people to get around a new city. We are so incredibly happy with how well received Tunnel Time has been for travellers venturing into a new city for the first time. Here are some of our favourite moments of this past year.
The Future of Transit Cards 💳
Transit cards have changed a lot in 2019. When we wrote the article in April we had no idea how many cities were on the cusp of sweeping changes to their transportation fare payment infrastructure. 2019 saw NYC adopt contactless credit cards as they transition away from the famous MetroCard. We also saw players like Apple implement NFC transit fare payments into iPhone which was most recently adopted in London. In the app payment landscape, we saw Uber and Lyft begin to offer public transportation route and fare ticketing inside their own apps.
More Cities 🏙
Tunnel Time launched with 6 cities in April of 2019. Since then, we’ve added 5 more bringing our total to 11. Our first addition to the site was Istanbul, Turkey, less than a month after we launched. Most recently, we added Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to the site, a popular travel destination with 13.8 million visitors each year. Keep an eye out because next week we’ll be adding our 12th city. 😉
Updates to Transit & Map Apps 📱
Some of the most popular mapping and public transportation applications got some significant updates in 2019. Apple Maps got a significant update with iOS 13 to bring real time transit formation (among other things). My personal favourite public transportation app, Transit, got a neat combo trips feature adding routing for e-scooters, uber, and bicycles as part of your bus or subway trip.
Overall, 2019 was pretty great. We’re very excited for 2020 and all sorts of new things coming to Tunnel Time. If you’re heading out to celebrate NYE this evening, remember many transit companies are offering free transit, discounted fares and/or extended hours. Check with your local operators to make sure you’ve got a safe ride home.
See you in 2020. 🚇
