Question: Why doesn't the Trip Planner suggest the bus line I use every day?
The Trip Planner cannot guess your traveling habits. The suggested routes are calculated using available information about travel times and the given search parameters. One benefit of the service is the possibility to find new route alternatives you may not have previously considered. If you already know a good way to make your trip, you can compare the routes suggested by the Trip Planner to see if any faster or easier options exist.

Question: Why doesn't the Trip Planner recognize the address or place I'm searching for?
The location database used by the Trip Planner is based on data currently available and updated by LYNX. The index of locations within the system is collected from many different sources and updated manually, so it may not contain all locations and addresses. We would appreciate any feedback about locations we should consider adding to the location database.

Question: Why is the distance from my home to the nearest stop over estimated by the Trip Planner?
The walking connections are calculated on a network of streets that are considered to be walkable. The Trip Planner does not know all possible shortcuts and paths which are not built into the street network data maintained by LYNX.

Question: The default walking speed is too slow for me. Can I change the setting?
By clicking on the Advanced Search, you can adjust several settings to your preference, including the walking speed.

Question: Trip Planner suggests only routes with a transfer from bus to bus, even though 20 minutes later there is a direct service available. Why is that route alternative not shown?
All connections suggested by the Trip Planner are strictly time-specific, based on the time search criteria you specified with your search. If you are looking to minimize the number of transfers, you can select the 'Minimize Transfers' Advanced Search route optimization to give preference to the most direct connections.

Question: I have saved a search for my trip from work to home as a browser bookmark. When I select it from the list, I get route suggestions for a time which has already passed!
A bookmarked search will save all attributes for the original search including the original search time. You can update the search to the preferred time by clicking the 'Now' link above the list of route suggestions or adjusting your search time criteria.

Question: I wish to use public transportation to go to the Airport, but I do not know the street address. How do I find the route?
There are several ways to search for locations without knowing the address. The easiest way is to simply type in the name, or partial name of the location you are interested in. The Trip Planner will then return a list of all location names that match the text string you used in the search. Another method is to look up your location using the location index. The location index contains an alphabetical listing of all locations within the system, grouped into categories of Streets, Transit Stops, and common Points of Interest. Alternatively, if you can't find the correct location using the search form, or indexes,you can also use the map search by selecting your point from the Map display.

Question: What do the different colored lines and symbols on the map signify?
The Trip Planner map service when displaying itineraries will show the origin and destination for the itinerary using a Yellow Square. Transfer points within the itinerary are displayed using a Yellow Circle. A solid line represents a transit leg within the itinerary, while a broken-blue line represents a walking leg. At the more detailed zoom levels, stops within a transit leg may also be displayed as circles within the solid line segments.

Question: How do I know where I need to get off the bus when traveling to a place I am not familiar with?
Within the Itinerary Summary or Itinerary Details views, there is a Map button which if pressed will display the itinerary on a map and also provide additional information about transit stops within the itinerary. The Map displays of the itinerary, and the stop listings, can be printed so you can take these along with you on your trip in order to follow your progress through the itinerary.

Question: Are the night buses included in the Trip Planner? I was searching for a connection late on a Friday, but couldn't find any routes using the night buses.
The night buses are included in the data. When searching for a time past midnight on a Friday, you need to change the time and date to an AM-time on Saturday. Thus the latest night bus services can be found by setting the time and date to early morning of the next day.