An iPhone application with students in mind

A Bus en route to Denver passes CU journalism sophomore Zack Shapiro. Shaprio created an iPhone application for bus schedules. (CU Independent/ Danielle Alberti)

Nowadays, there’s an “app” for everything.

Translating Spanish? There’s an app for that. Playing Scrabble? There’s an app for that, too. Figuring out when the next bus to take you from Boulder to the airport comes? Now there’s even an app for that.

Zack Shapiro, 19, a sophomore journalism major and an editor at the CU Independent, recently created a new iPhone application called “RTD Mobile Bus Times” that allows Boulder residents to follow bus schedules and routes from Boulder to Denver, and also to the Denver International Airport through bus routes AB and BX.

The application, with the click of a finger and $1.99, is awaiting a final review from Apple, and will be available to the public in approximately two weeks.

Shapiro, originally from Maryland, created the foundation for his program as part of a computer science class project. His inspiration was born from having to travel back to the CU-Boulder campus from DIA and never knowing the schedule.

“I love my iPhone,” Shapiro said, “and as a freshman, I took the bus a lot.”

The process involving outsourcing materials to freelance iPhone developers was bought by Apple. However, most of the decisions such as pricing and the ability of the program were still in Shapiro’s hands.

Tiffany Angell, a marketing representative for the Regional Transportation District (RTD), feels that the application will make a tremendous contribution to their transportation system as well.

“We are currently building a mobile Web site that would be useful to Smartphone users,” Angell said. “People with iPhones, BlackBerrys, and PSPs are usually the ones browsing the Internet, and would benefit from the new system.”

RTD bus schedules are typically updated three times a year, and the new iPhone application, which uses information directly from the Internet, would act as a reliable tool for students and Boulder residents.

Amanda Wilson, a sophomore studio arts major from Seattle and an iPhone user, was skeptical about the new application for her personal use.

“I usually take the Hop or the Buff Bus,” Wilson said, with her iPhone in hand.  ”I’d most likely buy the application if it gave those routes and schedules.”

Shapiro is working on expanding the application to cover several more bus routes, such as the Hop and Skip buses, to make it easier for CU students.

“It’s for CU Students,” Shapiro said, “so any updates will be for them.”

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sushupta Srinidhi at [email protected]