Opening a dynamically built Google URL in new window
I'm using modified code originally supplied by Google to make a transit trip planner form that uses Google Maps. I'd like the results to open in a new window/tab so the user doesn't have to leave the site (I realize this is a somewhat controversial usability issue, but this is at my client's behest, so...).

The code below uses  target="_blank" in the <form> tag - which seemed like the simplest solution - but that doesn't work in this instance - not sure why, but thought it may have something to do with the dynamically-built URL.

I tried several methods gleaned from previous similar questions on this site, the method below being one of them, as well as something along the lines of 

    myForm.setAttribute("target", "_blank");

but so far nothing has been successful. 

Here's the code I'm using. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

         <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
     // Edit the strings below this line
     var startExample = "USC";
     var endExample = "201 N Los Angeles St.";
     var zip = "90012";
     // End edit block
    
     // Get and parse the user's current date/time
     var date = new Date();
     var isPM = false;
     var currentTime = date.getHours();
     var currentDate = "";
     var amOption = '<option value="am">AM';
     var pmOption = '<option value="pm">PM';
    
     if(currentTime > 11)
     isPM = true;
     currentTime %= 12;
     if(currentTime == 0)
     currentTime = 12;
    
     currentTime += ':';
     if(date.getMinutes() < 10)
     currentTime += '0';
     currentTime += date.getMinutes();
    
     if(isPM)
     pmOption = '<option selected="true" value="pm">PM';
     else
     amOption = '<option selected="true" value="am">AM';
    
     if(date.getMonth() < 9)
     currentDate = '0';
     currentDate += (date.getMonth() + 1) + '/';
     if(date.getDate() < 10)
     currentDate += '0';
     currentDate += date.getDate() + '/' + date.getFullYear();
    
     // Builds the destination URL
     function buildURL() {
     var loc = 'http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&f=d&';
    
     for (var i = 0; (i < document.myForm.length - 1); i++) {
     if(document.myForm[i].name == 'ampm')
     continue;
     if(document.myForm[i].name == 'time')
     loc += document.myForm[i].name + '=' + document.myForm[i].value + document.myForm.ampm.value + '&';
     else {
     if(document.myForm[i].name == 'saddr')
     loc += document.myForm[i].name + '=' + document.myForm[i].value + '+near+' + zip + '&';
     else
     loc += document.myForm[i].name + '=' + document.myForm[i].value + '&';
     }
     }
     loc+='dirflg=r';
     
    
     location.href=loc;
     return true;
     
    
     }
    </script>
    
     <form name="myForm" id="myForm" action="#" target="_blank">
    
        <p>Powered by <a href="http://google.com/transit" target="_blank">Google Maps</a></p>
       <label for="saddr"><strong>Start</strong> e.g.
         <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
    	 document.write(startExample)
         </script>
         </label>
         
      <input type="text" name="saddr" maxlength="2048" title="Enter the Origin Address" class="startend" />
         
         <label for="daddr"><strong>End</strong> e.g.
           <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">document.write(endExample)</script></label>
           
           <input type="text" name="daddr" maxlength="2048" title="Enter the Destination Address" class="startend" />
      <div class="gadgetform-row">
     <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
     document.write('<div class="datewrapper">');
     document.write('<label for="date"><strong>Date</strong></label><br />');
     document.write('<input class="date" type="text" id="fdate" name="date" value="' + currentDate + '" maxlength="10" title="Enter the Date in MM/DD/YY format">');
     document.write('</div>');
     document.write('<div class="timewrapper">');
     document.write('<label for="time"><strong>Time</strong></label><br />');
     document.write('<input class="time" type="text" id="ftime" name="time" value="' + currentTime + '" maxlength="8" title="Enter the Time in HH:MM AM or PM format">');
     document.write('</div>');
     document.write('<div class="ampmwrapper">');
     document.write('&nbsp;<br />');
     document.write('<select name="ampm" class="ampm">' + amOption + pmOption + '</select>');
     document.write('</div>');
     document.write('<div class="clear"></div>');
     </script>
     </div>      
         
    <div class="planby">
      <label for="ttype"><strong>Plan by:</strong>&nbsp;</label
    ><select name="ttype">
        <option value="dep">Departure Time </option>
        <option value="arr">Arrival Time</option>
        </select>
    </div>
    
    <a class="button" href="javascript:void();" onclick='return buildURL();'><span class="plan">Plan My Trip</span></a> 
    </form>
Opening a dynamically built Google URL in new window
===

I'm using modified code originally supplied by Google to make a transit trip planner form that uses Google Maps. I'd like the results to open in a new window/tab so the user doesn't have to leave the site (I realize this is a somewhat controversial usability issue, but this is at my client's behest, so...).

The code below uses  target="_blank" in the <form> tag - which seemed like the simplest solution - but that doesn't work in this instance - not sure why, but thought it may have something to do with the dynamically-built URL.

I tried several methods gleaned from previous similar questions on this site, the method below being one of them, as well as something along the lines of 

    myForm.setAttribute("target", "_blank");

but so far nothing has been successful. 

Here's the code I'm using. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

         <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
     // Edit the strings below this line
     var startExample = "USC";
     var endExample = "201 N Los Angeles St.";
     var zip = "90012";
     // End edit block
    
     // Get and parse the user's current date/time
     var date = new Date();
     var isPM = false;
     var currentTime = date.getHours();
     var currentDate = "";
     var amOption = '<option value="am">AM';
     var pmOption = '<option value="pm">PM';
    
     if(currentTime > 11)
     isPM = true;
     currentTime %= 12;
     if(currentTime == 0)
     currentTime = 12;
    
     currentTime += ':';
     if(date.getMinutes() < 10)
     currentTime += '0';
     currentTime += date.getMinutes();
    
     if(isPM)
     pmOption = '<option selected="true" value="pm">PM';
     else
     amOption = '<option selected="true" value="am">AM';
    
     if(date.getMonth() < 9)
     currentDate = '0';
     currentDate += (date.getMonth() + 1) + '/';
     if(date.getDate() < 10)
     currentDate += '0';
     currentDate += date.getDate() + '/' + date.getFullYear();
    
     // Builds the destination URL
     function buildURL() {
     var loc = 'http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&f=d&';
    
     for (var i = 0; (i < document.myForm.length - 1); i++) {
     if(document.myForm[i].name == 'ampm')
     continue;
     if(document.myForm[i].name == 'time')
     loc += document.myForm[i].name + '=' + document.myForm[i].value + document.myForm.ampm.value + '&';
     else {
     if(document.myForm[i].name == 'saddr')
     loc += document.myForm[i].name + '=' + document.myForm[i].value + '+near+' + zip + '&';
     else
     loc += document.myForm[i].name + '=' + document.myForm[i].value + '&';
     }
     }
     loc+='dirflg=r';
     
    
     location.href=loc;
     return true;
     
    
     }
    </script>
    
     <form name="myForm" id="myForm" action="#" target="_blank">
    
        <p>Powered by <a href="http://google.com/transit" target="_blank">Google Maps</a></p>
       <label for="saddr"><strong>Start</strong> e.g.
         <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
    	 document.write(startExample)
         </script>
         </label>
         
      <input type="text" name="saddr" maxlength="2048" title="Enter the Origin Address" class="startend" />
         
         <label for="daddr"><strong>End</strong> e.g.
           <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">document.write(endExample)</script></label>
           
           <input type="text" name="daddr" maxlength="2048" title="Enter the Destination Address" class="startend" />
      <div class="gadgetform-row">
     <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
     document.write('<div class="datewrapper">');
     document.write('<label for="date"><strong>Date</strong></label><br />');
     document.write('<input class="date" type="text" id="fdate" name="date" value="' + currentDate + '" maxlength="10" title="Enter the Date in MM/DD/YY format">');
     document.write('</div>');
     document.write('<div class="timewrapper">');
     document.write('<label for="time"><strong>Time</strong></label><br />');
     document.write('<input class="time" type="text" id="ftime" name="time" value="' + currentTime + '" maxlength="8" title="Enter the Time in HH:MM AM or PM format">');
     document.write('</div>');
     document.write('<div class="ampmwrapper">');
     document.write('&nbsp;<br />');
     document.write('<select name="ampm" class="ampm">' + amOption + pmOption + '</select>');
     document.write('</div>');
     document.write('<div class="clear"></div>');
     </script>
     </div>      
         
    <div class="planby">
      <label for="ttype"><strong>Plan by:</strong>&nbsp;</label
    ><select name="ttype">
        <option value="dep">Departure Time </option>
        <option value="arr">Arrival Time</option>
        </select>
    </div>
    
    <a class="button" href="javascript:void();" onclick='return buildURL();'><span class="plan">Plan My Trip</span></a> 
    </form>