Dadnab Launches Text Messaging Service for Transit Riders

Transportation startup Dadnab (www.dadnab.com) has launched a free service that enables riders to plan their trips on public transportation.

A Dadnab user sends a text message with an origin and destination to a designated e-mail address. Seconds later, the user receives a text message with the optimal routes and times to get to the desired destination.

Roger L. Cauvin, founder and operator of the service, is a frequent user of public transportation.

“I created the Dadnab service to make public transportation more convenient”, Cauvin says.

“I used to spend several hours a week studying bus schedules to figure out the most efficient way to get around. Using the Web to plan my trips helped when I had access to the Internet, but now I can simply use text messaging from my mobile phone,” explains Cauvin.

In addition to entering their origins and destinations, Dadnab users can include desired departure or arrival times in their queries. Instructions, examples and support are available through Dadnab’s Web site.

The service is available in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut tri-state area. Dadnab users send their text message queries to a different e-mail address for each region. For example, Chicago users send their queries to chicago@dadnab.com.

“I grew up in the Bay Area and have used public transportation all my life,” says Stacey Lashley, a consulting manager at Hewlett-Packard.

“I now live in Austin and am still getting used to the bus system. If it weren't for Dadnab, it would be almost impossible for me to run errands and get to my appointments.”