fivelinks (London transport edition)
• Moquette is an interactive novel set on the London Underground, starting at Balham, Tuesday morning, 08:03, waiting for the Northern line. Not only is there a story to follow, there's a journey to plan, and several characters to meet along the way. Created by Alex Warren, it's a novel experience. [make sure you have at least 15 minutes spare before you start, and there's no need to run through the story twice, because you'll get the full effect in one] [via @geofftech]
• Why should mobile phone apps have all the good travel options? Now the folk who brought you the marvellous Citymapper app (quote from workmate, "I can't believe this is free"), have returned to their web-based roots by creating SuperRouter, an intelligent map-based London journey planner. Click start and finish on the map, or enter these points down the side, and several routes (by rail, bus, taxi or on foot) will be presented. How long, how much, how many calories, what more could you possibly need to know? [damned clever]
• We've got used to knowing when London's buses are due, thanks to TfL's Countdown technology. Now Matthew Somerville has gone one step further and can show you where these buses are in approximately real time. His Live London Bus Map plots all the bus stops on each route (in yellow) and all the buses (in red). That's every single TfL bus route from 1 to X68, each on their own separate map, plus (in a nice twist) Thames Clipper services too. Are all the buses on route 25 bunched up together? Is there a big gap in the service on the 36? Where are the all the drivers on the 100? Is the H10 still going round in circles? This takes Countdown data to a whole new level. Fascinating, useful and therapeutic. [buses move in straight lines from stop to stop, rather than along the roads, so some of the action might look a bit strange] [when no buses are running, no map appears] [via Londonist] [& thanks @Nico]
• The Every Tube Station Song does exactly what it says on the tin. Jay Foreman has concatenated the name of every single tube station (n.b. not DLR, not Overground) into a rattling strum-a-long lasting 3 minutes 10 seconds. He doesn't smile much, but he's clearly had a lot of fun filming this... sitting on trains, walking up escalators and indulging in green screen antics. [do not try this at home]
• If your Oyster card is held in promotional plastic, and you'd rather flash something more artistic as you touch in, why not grab one of the 10 limited edition travel wallets created to celebrate this year's London Design Festival and the Underground's 150th birthday. I'm not normally persuaded to part with unnecessary cash, but even I've swapped £6.99 for a swish colourful design. Now the festival's over you'll find them in a box beside the till at the London Transport Museum. [take your pick]
