Got2Go

Constraint

Facility data is only useful if access details, hours and proximity are visible at the moment someone needs them — not buried in a metadata panel.

Decision

Treat accessibility and amenity information as first-class interface content. If the data says wheelchair access or baby-change, that should be the first thing visible, not a footnote.

Proof

Geolocation-first with manual search fallback, user-submitted ratings and accessibility comments, live at got2go.co.

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The problem

My sister Lucy was already using Rubbish Day. I was explaining how the backend works — the data sources, why it exists, the general idea of building free tools for everyday problems. She said she wished there was a map like that for public toilets in New Zealand.

It was half funny, half completely genuine. Which is usually the right signal that an idea has something in it.

Finding a public toilet sounds like a small problem until it suddenly is not. Accessibility features, opening hours, baby-change facilities — these details change whether a result is actually useful. They should not require three taps to find.

The build

Got2Go is a map app with a practical data problem underneath it. It is not enough to put points on a map. The product has to help someone decide which point is actually worth heading toward.

Abstraction

Got2Go product layers

Framework ?

The page shell around the map.

Library ?

Leaflet, geolocation and map primitives.

API ?

Dataset, search and moderation flows.

Code ?

The product layer that decides what to show first.

Data ?

Public toilet records, access details and submitted comments.

you are here

That meant treating access details as first-class interface content rather than buried metadata. Wheelchair access, baby-change facilities, opening hours — visible immediately.

Building it also meant setting up a database for the first time. User ratings and accessibility comments need somewhere to live, and that opened up a more interesting question: could the people using the map make it more accurate over time? The early response suggested yes. After posting, the first messages I got were accessibility requests from people who knew more than the source data did. Submissions are held for admin review before going live — a small moderation layer that keeps the data trustworthy without requiring accounts.

Keeping the map lightweight is an ongoing challenge. A lot of data needs to load on a single view, and the right call is almost always to show less rather than more.

The result

Got2Go has been live at got2go.co for about a month. I built it for Lucy, but it turns out other people needed it too. It is free, requires no account, and gets better as people use it.

The projects I like most are the ones someone mentions in passing that I cannot quite leave alone. This was one of those.