Jonathan Wegener and his sister Ashley spent two months mapping many of the 468 stations of New York's labyrinthine subway system to create a smartphone app that they claim will shave precious minutes off most commutes.
Exit Strategy NYC tells you exactly which subway car to ride and which door to step out of to be closest to your destination. Although the app applies only to Gotham -- Manhattan and most, but not all, of its surrounding areas -- the Wegener's claim it could be adapted to other subway systems and they plan to offer versions for other cities soon.
Users can prepare for the next leg of their trip while waiting for their train. The Wegeners call it "Platform Strategy": simply select the train you'll catch and choose the street you want to be on when you arrive. The app will provide a diagram of the car you should ride on and the door you should exit from to make getting out of the station as quick as possible while getting you as close as possible to where you want to go.
Google has developed a subway station mapping system, but it doesn't offer the door-to-door detail of Plan Exit Strategy NYC. The New York Times notes on its blog knowing exactly which subway car to ride in order to be closest to your exit is one sign of a true New Yorker.
"I really love the feeling of popping up right in front of the exit. It's really a great feeling. You feel like you are an insider and you know something," Jonathan Wegener told the Times. "It's incredible; you can be off by an entire avenue. You are three to four minutes off from where you thought you were going to be."
The app is available for the iPhone, Blackberry (via Blackberry App World) and Android/G1 (via Android Market). The price starts at $1.99.**
Photo: flickr / moriza
