I have two things that I plan on doing after I finish college. One is getting my PE license and working as a civil engineer. The other one is starting a "dollar van" business that runs vans along major corridors where the regular bus service is lacking. I plan on using the Internet to help me achieve both goals.
With regards to being a civil engineer, I plan on using the Internet to generate business for whatever firm I would be working for. Assuming the company doesn't need me to help them create a website, I would be able to generate business for them by using social media sites to advertise for the company, and look out for potential clients. The Internet would help keep me in the know of which projects are going on in the area, that my company may be interested in getting involved in.
With regards to the dollar van business, since that would end up being my own company, I would use the Internet to create a company website that informs people about the types of services we offer (what corridors our vans run along, what our fares are, which routes run at which times, etc). Google Transit is a very useful tool, that allows any company that runs a public transit service to upload their routes and schedules. This would greatly increase awareness of the routes, because now they would show up as an option when people are making trips along certain corridors.
For instance, right now, there's no direct connection between the Castle Hill and "The Hub" neighborhoods in The Bronx. Riders have to take the Bx22 bus to Westchester Avenue and then take the Bx4. However, if I were to create a dollar van route running along Castle Hill Avenue and Westchester Avenue, that would provide a direct link between the two neighborhoods. And so if somebody were to go to Google Transit, they would see that my dollar van route is a faster and more convenient option than the regular local bus routes.
In addition, the MTA recently made an app called "BusTime", where you can track the location of the buses. This would be very helpful because I would be able to get an idea of the crowds waiting at certain stops, and dispatch my vans accordingly, so they pick up the maximum amount of passengers, and therefore make the maximum amount of money.
Finally, I would also use social media sites to help get the word out about my company. Aside from sites like Facebook and Twitter, there are online discussion forums dedicated to discussing transit, and quite frankly, some of the members know more than the people who work in the MTA. I would be able to get ideas of new markets to expand into by communicating with some of those members. I would also be able to recruit quality workers, as some fellow transit enthusiasts may be interested in a career in the field.
The Internet has created a new world with many opportunities that I hope to take advantage of in my career.
