Doesn’t let you pay for rides
(Nevermind that where you travel is, by definition, likely to vary day by day. Doesn’t matter. You’re still required to provide that information, or else it won’t let you do anything.)
And even after you’ve given in and provided all of that info (or made up answers to get by), it doesn’t actually let you pay for rides. That was the entire reason I downloaded the “official CT transit app.” I don’t wanna need to have the exact change-amount in quarters every time I ride the bus. Without that, the entire point of the app is moot. I’d rate this a zero if I could.
Good idea, bad execution
As a European, I always seek out public transportation when possible. However, since moving to a more suburban location, it became harder than usual - the closest bus stop to me is a 40-minute walk away, while the majority of sidewalks do not have pedestrian crossings between them. I thought I would be encouraged to use my bicycle more (a terribly dangerous activity in Connecticut, since none of the bike routes are separated from the main road!), but every time I earn enough points for using alternative transportation, I am rewarded with a CHANCE to win a prize. Every time I lose my hard-earned points, I get more and more discouraged from using the app and more and more disappointed in Connecticut’s public transportation.
Now, regarding the app itself. Recording rides is inconvenient; the UI was not properly tested by people outside the organization. Ride-share options never appear, so that part of the app is useless. And lastly, Google Maps is mostly better at creating a public transportation route than this app. The badge system is fun, better reward-wise than the raffle. The app doesn't have too many distractions or extra tabs, so that’s good. And lastly, its presence on my phone is encouraging me to use public transportation.
As a person who works with similar initiatives, I would recommend changing prizes to free event tickets (a user is encouraged to use public transportation to get to a free event that they won through using a public transportation), gift cards from local Connecticut brands (NOT a raffle, a for sure win), and Connecticut-themed merch (a West Hartford blanket, a Windsor plate, a Yale sweatshirt). Instead of a raffle system, create a leaderboard with the top 10 (20, 50, 100, whatever the budget is) participants receiving a gift.
Again, the initiative is great, but your focus is not there, and Connecticut public transportation is not yet ready to accommodate people.
Response from developer
Thank you very much for your feedback. We're the app developers so we can't address your concerns about transit and biking in CT. Regarding the rewards, we have a very small budget for incentives and are unable to provide rewards to all participants, which is why we do drawings. Regarding your comment that ride-share options do not appear, I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to since users can record carpool and vanpool trips today. If you're referring to Uber or Lyft, we don't track those trips today since we consider those to be taxi rides. We also really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. If you'd like to discuss your ideas in more detail, please select More -> Contact us to contact our support team and ask them to forward your inquiry to Rick (I lead the iOS app development and would value hearing more of your feedback). Thank you.
Slow
Response from developer
We're very sorry about the notification question re-appearing. There was a bug in the code which will be fixed in the next version. We're also sorry that the drawing entry is tedious. We will streamline this in a future release. Thanks for sharing your feedback.
Rewards unavailable
Response from developer
We're sorry this happened. Some times there are no rewards on the last day of the month as we prepare new rewards for the upcoming month. It appears you visited the rewards on June 30th and this happened. Please check again, the rewards section is not empty any more.
Very Clunky
Response from developer
We're very sorry you're having trouble. We recently updated a few security items that might have caused your problem. If you can, please log out and log in one more time and hopefully this will keep you logged in. If the problem persists, please contact support by selecting More -> Contact us and we'll look into it further. Thank you.
No way to add money
Response from developer
I'm very sorry you had a bad experience. The CTrides app does not sell bus passes. We recommend using the Transit app to purchase your bus passes.
Requires account
It acts like you might be able to on the map tab, but when you input starting and ending points it does nothing but mark those two points, with the typical pin used on apple maps or google maps. (They use apple maps, by the way.) No indication of nearby transit options.
I was hoping this app would solve the issue of all the fragmented Public transit websites of trying to figure out the route and transfers available to me to choose from for a commute that would be then dependent on this. It let me down in this regard. I hoped it was a one-stop for finding this out at least. Though that should've easily been a website...
Ui is nice, I guess, though. Or at least what little you could see without logging in, was. 🤦
Response from developer
Thanks for your review and we're sorry you had a bad experience. You can select the Find Rides tab and search for rides without creating an account. Just indicate the type of ride you're looking for, enter your origin and destination, and your options should appear below. To view transit options, just select the transit icon. An account is only required if you want to connect with other carpoolers or log your trips. If you have other questions please contact our support and we'll do our best to help.
Needs improve
Response from developer
Thanks for contacting us. Our trip planner does show SEAT CONNECT (a.k.a. HOP/NLSmartRide) as an option when you search for a ride in their service area. However, since SEAT CONNECT is demand-response they do not have a published schedule and you need to contact them to arrange a ride. This is why we link you to their website.
Rewards could use improvement
Response from developer
Thanks for your review. The reason drawing entries are one-at-a-time is to make sure other members can get a chance to enter the drawing and that one member does not use all the entries at once. Having said that, your suggestion is a good one and we'll explore ways to make the entry process a bit easier. Thank you.
easy to receive pts for trips
Not helpful
Response from developer
Sorry, but the CTrides app does not have a listing of transit schedules. However, if you open the CTrides app, select Find Rides, and enter your origin and destination you will be able to see transit options for your trip. You can then adjust the date and time to see just the right transit routes.
CT Rides App
Rich Moll
Decent
Also if you’re looking for a ride, there’s not a very straightforward way of matching you to someone who is willing to give people rides in your general direction.
For carpooling, you’re better off using a private ride share app.
I would love to support the CT Rides program, but it doesn’t support my transportation needs very well apart from telling me to walk on a busy state road to the bus station the night before I have to go to work.
Response from developer
Sorry for not replying sooner. When searching for a ride, the transit routes default to your current date and time since we don’t know when you want to leave. However, you can select the link in the transit window that says “depart at” and change your desired time to the next morning or any other date and time you like.
