New Subway Virtual Store Concept Could Save Time, Gas and Improve Public Transit

With the increasing gas prices we all know the importance of utilizing public transportation. However what do you get done while waiting for a train? Check your email? Facebook? Tweet about waiting for the train?

During this downtime, wouldn’t it be great to get the weekly chore of grocery shopping finished and never have to put up with pushing a shopping cart through aisle after aisle of crowds, hassle and headache?

Well this shopping fantasy could soon be a reality, thanks to the world of smart phones and QR Codes that we live in today. A company in South Korea is already implementing and expanding one such system.

This type of service would add another benefit for our transit commuters, saving them time, money, and a separate trip to the grocery store. If this makes its way to the US, we could also open up the possibility of adding a surcharge to each transaction that would go towards improving the transit system. This would improve the user experience, commute, and “store” all at the same time.

Another benefit of implementing this system would be a decrease in carbon emissions, this report from Carnegie Mellon finds shopping online results in less of an environmental impact than buying locally. Not only do we increase the benefits for the commuter, we also keep cars from making dedicated trips to the grocery store.

Last month, I talked about Google implementing live transit updates as part of their maps’ service, and now these virtual subway stores are just an additional example of how we can use new technology to improve a commuter’s transit experience. All it takes is a creative idea on how to pair the two.

Posted in: Alex Felts,green,train,transit,video