MyRideWIDGET
Want to know when the next bus is departing from your stop? In real time? MyRideWIDGET estimates the time the next bus will depart from any bus stop--on campus or in the cities of Lafayette or West Lafayette--based on the actual location of the bus using GPS. This information is displayed in a window on your computer desktop, like this:
Installation
To use MyRideWIDGET you must install software on your computer. Installation requires two steps:
- Download and install the Yahoo! Widget Engine.
- Download and install MyRideWIDGET.
MyRide.WIDGET requires an application called WinZip to open (click here for information about WinZip). Widgets can be stored anywhere, but are typically placed in their default folder. Please visit the Yahoo! Widget FAQ for more information.
Viewing
After installation, open the MyRideWIDGET application.
The first screen you will see is the Preferences screen, which allows you to select which bus stop is viewed. All CityBus stops are assigned a "Text Message ID" or "Quick Code" that looks like "BUS###." The bus stop at Beering Hall on the Purdue campus, for example, has an ID of BUS389. To find the Quick Code for your stop use MyRideWeb here to search for your stop (the Quick Code is displayed along the left side of the page on the search results page). You can give the location an optional description (such as "home" or "work") to help you identify it. Filtering allows you to select which bus routes are viewed. If left blank, all buses serving the stop will be viewed. Or, you may enter individual route numbers or names, separated by commas.
The widget will update every 30 seconds to provide the most up-to-date information possible for a particular stop. MyRideWIDGET approximates real time route information 30 minutes into the future. As you watch, departure times will count down as the bus travels closer to the stop. Routes are sorted in ascending order by time of departure. Routes are color coded as follows:
- Routes DUE or with 3 minutes or less until departure are shown in RED.
- Routes with 4 to 10 minutes until departure are shown in YELLOW.
- Buses with departure times greater than 11 minutes away are shown in GREEN.
Quick Menu
The Quick Menu allows you to manage which bus stop and which bus routes are shown. Click the blue button in the upper right corner of MyRideWIDGET to see the Quick Menu. Previously-viewed stops are saved as favorites in this menu, and you can add, modify, or delete them. You can also choose to exit, which will remove the widget from your desktop. When you choose "Add" or "Modify," the Widget Preferences window opens so that you may add or modify stops.
