Clever Commute comes to Boston area

An article ('Clever' train update service arrives) in the Boston Globe on Christmas Eve alerted me to the launch in the Boston area of the Clever Commute community:

Crandall's alternative service, which he hopes to patent, works like this: Riders sign up for free with an e-mail address or a cellphone number on the Clever Commute website, indicating what train line they use. When a rider sees a problem on the tracks, he or she sends an e-mail to Clever Commute, which sends an instant e-mail or text message to every member on that line.

Clever Commute basically crowdsources information about delays and breakdwons, letting interested users communicate with each other outside the official channels.

Too early to tell if we've got critical mass (pardon the MA pun) for the MBTA and commuter rail in the Boston area, but as a frequent Newburyport/Rockport line rider, I look forward to finding out.

To sign up, go to Clever Commute, click on "Find Your Route," and set the region appropriately.