Citymapper knows all hell is about to break loose during the London Tube strike and has released a 'strike safe' feature
Transport of London is telling commuters to get out of the office by 5 p.m on Wednesday before the worst Tube strike in 13 years paralyses the city.
All Tube lines are expected to be shut down starting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8. They are expected to stay closed all day on Thursday, July 9. The only lines that will still be useful are the London Overground, the DLR, and TfL Rail.
To help Londoners get around, Citymapper has created a "strike safe" feature that will direct people to their destination using everything but the Tube.
Though TfL says it is putting 200 extra buses on the road, it's pretty certain that your trek home will be much slower and more cramped than normal.
If you're not much of a bus person, the new "cycle hire + train" feature will provide suggestions for combining cycle travel with the Overground, DLR, and Rail services that are still running.
The Citymapper website will also provide updates to service, including information about disruptions as it streams in from users.
TfL expects services to be jam-packed starting at 4 p.m.
Almost 20,000 workers from four different unions are striking to demand a pay increase for the new 24-hour Tube services that will begin in September.
London Underground said unions did not respond to an offer that included an average salary rise of 2% and a bonus a of £2,000 ($3,010) for drivers on the new night services, according to the AFP.
"We're available to talk tonight, talk tomorrow and during the strike day itself on Thursday," Mike Brown, managing director of London Underground, told the Financial Times. "I'm just really incredulous to why they won't give us a response. I've been doing this stuff for 20 years and I've never seen anything close to this."
Drivers typically receive an annual salary of almost £50,000, according to the FT.
Visit this TfL page for the latest information on the strike.