Why is the TfL Journey Planner so random?

[EM2]

Afternoon all.
Going from Wanstead Park to Waterloo tomorrow (arriving at about 10:20), and I know that normally, there a number of routes available, e.g.:
Forest Gate - Stratford (NXEA) then Jubilee to W'loo
308 bus to Stratford then Jubilee
Wanstead Park - Blackhorse Road, then Vic to Oxford Circus & Bakerloo to Waterloo

So why does TfL's Journey Planner only offer the second of these, as well as totally bizarre routes such as via Barking and West Ham?
If I specify I want to go via BHO, it suggests then taking the Vic to Walthamstow Central, then NXEA to Liverpool Street, then the Central to Bank and then the Northern!
Now, the Jubilee, the Vic and the Bakerloo are all operating tomorrow, so why won't it offer the simple routes using them?

 

[Greenback]

It's a computer system, it can;t thin or rationalise for itself, it's heavily dependent on the data fed into it and the way the software is written.

 

[jopsuk]

Not giving me such crazy options- the first it gives is one of yours (308+Jubilee).

If I suggest via Blackhorse Road it goes crazy

 

[Greenback]

I find journey planners to be pretty random. The Traveline systems recommend changing buses at remote unlit crossroads during the hours of darkness when it's entirely possible to have a far more comfortable interchange ina nearby town or village!

I've checked a few of my regular journeys just for fun, and they enve rcome up with a route or timing that I would choose myself. I often get told to walk up a busy by pass to a bus stop (25 minutes walk) rather than walk into the bus station in town (walk 20 minutes max)!

 

[ashworth]

As an ocasional visitor to London I find the tfl journey planner quite useful to give me a rough idea of which buses to catch especially if it involves using night buses. However, I do only use it as a rough guide and often do not follow it exactly especially if it is suggesting that I change buses in unknown areas away from the centre of London.

Last year I was staying for a week in Croydon and I was very careful where I changed buses or trains. Getting back in the early hours I would rather travel into central London and back out again using the N159 or N68 or even better getting to Victoria and using the hourly train to east Croydon. As a visitor to London from a rural area I do not feel safe changing buses in the early hours in what to me seem very dodgy areas of Peckham, Elephant and Castle, Brixton, Streatham etc. Perhaps they are safe but I'm not used to that sort of location.

On the other hand changing buses at some unlit, out of the way, rural crossroads would not worry me. It is probably what you are used to.

 

[Greenback]

They are useful to someone who does not know an area, but I dislike the idea of changing buses in somewhere strange when a look at local maps and timetables indicates that you can do the same thing in a place where there are shops and cafes instead!

 

[Mojo]

I agree, and the fact it's based on timetabled times causes problems given that most services are frequent enough the timetable is thrown out of the window and offering a multitude of services.

I think also there is some time factor applied from station entrance to platform, but it seems to be random. Oxford Circus is probably geographically the closest station to my flat from door to entrance, however door to platform Great Portland Street is definitely better and walking to Oxford Circus can take longer due to having to cross some busy roads or negotiating slow shoppers in the evenings.

I went to Columbia Road market this morning and it came up with some fairly random options to get there including walking to Great Titchfield Street and catching the 55 and a load of other routes, when I know the best thing is to get the SSR to Liverpool Street from Great Portland Street and then the 26 or 48 bus, and a short walk.

There are other routes which can also take longer and be more uncomfortable because the trains are so busy; the recommended route from my flat to work is the Victoria line Oxford Circus to Victoria and the SSR to St James's Park. When I do take the Tube I walk to Goodge Street and then change at Embankment for the SSR. It's far quieter and because door to platform times are shorter too I think it's slightly better in the morning.