Since altr is based in the greater-Boston area, we’ve experienced a number of emotions over the past month due to the weather: excitement, denial, sadness, anger, physical pain… but the most enduring feeling has been frustration, frustration with the absurd delays and (oops, we just realized, sorry for the inconvenience) cancelations at the MBTA.

So, being the optimistic designers that we are, we asked ourselves: How can we fix the MBTA?

After much consideration, the truth became very obvious: We can’t afford another Big Dig, and that’s what it’s going to take to fix this thing.

The reality is, this isn’t going to be solved with just “innovative thinking”. Sometimes the problem is much more basic: She’s a clunka. Time ta fauk ova the cash for a new seta wheels.

So, we quickly checked back into reality and started to wonder if we could design something that might help in even the smallest way. That’s when it occurred to us that so much of commuter frustration stems from the often inaccurate, and some would argue, misleading, schedule alerts.

Too many people leave their warm house, trek through the harsh weather onlyto find themselves wondering what “on time” must mean to the MBTA. Desperately watching the LED tickers go from On Time (when it’s already past due) to 10 Mins. Late, to 20 Mins. Late, to 30,40, 50, Seek Alternate Routes… Cancelled.

Why? Is there really no better way to predict delays and failures? Is there really no quicker way to communicate what’s actually happening in a timely fashion?

Of course there is.

First, there’s the commuters themselves… up and down the line, they know what’s actually going on and they’re already posting about it on social media.

Second, just like everything else in this world, each train and each station has historical performance data. And guess what? It correlates with the weather.

And get this, since trains run on a track, one seriously delayed train has a pretty good chance of delaying the next one behind it.

What if we could pull all of this data together and present you with the odds of your next train’s ETA?

Thus, we give you DELAID: a mobile app concept designed to help commuters more accurately predict, plan for, and deal with the inevitable delays of a system that first started running in 1631.

With DELAID, you can anticipate the pain of your commute with a system that predicts the likelihood of delays by mapping the time of your train, the weather, that station’s historical performance in similar conditions, and the tweets from the current passengers up and down that line in real-time.

If standing on a platform, freezing to near death is going to be a continued reality, an act of faith… a total bet, then we want to show you the odds.

So, there it is, and we’re planning on building it.

It won’t fix the MBTA, but DELAID just might help you unfuck your commute a little.

Let us know what you think. Oh, and if you’re a solid bookie from Southie we’d like to talk to you.