What I would love to see in a public transit app

Every city I have lived in ships a transit app, and every one of them is disappointing in the same few ways. Here is the app I keep hoping someone builds.

Arrival times that admit uncertainty

A single number — “3 min” — is a lie dressed up as precision. I want a range, and I want it to widen honestly when the feed is stale. “2–6 min, last seen 40s ago” tells me whether to run.

Routing that knows I am a person

• Prefer fewer transfers over shaving two minutes.
• Warn me when a connection needs a 400 m walk through a station I do not know.
• Let me say “no stairs today” and mean it.

Data that respects the rider

No account to check a timetable. No location history sold to a broker. The app should work offline with last night’s schedule and sync when it can.

Small things that would make me love it

1. A “walk vs. wait” nudge when walking is genuinely faster.
2. Live occupancy, even if it is just three buckets: empty, fine, packed.
3. A share link for a whole trip plan, not just a stop.

None of this is exotic. The pieces exist in different apps. I just want them in one that is calm, quiet, and on my side.