Kelly's message about transportation information prompted me to take
another look at the Port Authority of Allegheny County's WWW site.  When
this site was initially created, the schedules were provided as graphic
images of the paper schedules using the .gif format.  Since the TRFN has
urged information providers to consider those using the dial in service
and lynx 2.8, the Authority now provides this information in a text based
format at http://trfn.clpgh.org/patransit/

I found it pretty easy to locate a particular schedule and to select
outbound, weekday etc.  However, the resulting presentation uses tables to
format the data and colors to distinguish a.m. from p.m.  The schedules
apparently are converted from their databases using a program called
data2schedule (judging from the html source) and are current from what I
see.

It would be interesting to learn how this information appears to a Windows
user with the ability to handle tables.  would reformatting the page
destroy the tabular information?  Are the colors and formatting beneficial
to those who use screen enlargement?

It seems to me that using a slightly modified html generator would make
this schedule information quite accessible and those in southwestern
Pennsylvania could phone PAT or e-mail [log in to unmask] with
comments and suggestions.

I think one improvement might be to select the stops at the start and end
of your planned trip and have only those times displayed.  It might also
be possible to format the schedule for output on a braille printer.

- Mark


   Problems are opportunities in work clothes.  --  Henry J. Kaiser


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