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MTA Unveils New All-In-One Mobile App for Trip Planning and Service Information

App includes schedules and service alerts for subways, buses, lirr and metro-north  , public can sign up for app; currently in beta testing.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that its new MTA app is available for download. The app is currently in BETA testing and will eventually succeed the MYmta app. The app features schedules, service alerts and more for subways, buses, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad all in one place. Users can also book Access-A-Ride trips and see elevator and escalator outages at stations throughout the subway system.   

 “If we want more customers to use public transit, providing travel tools that are easy and intuitive is key,” said MTA Acting Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara . “The new MTA app accomplishes just that, connecting riders to the information they need in one or two taps.”  

Additional features in the Beta version of the new MTA app include:  

Plan a trip to see recommended routes and check schedules for subways, buses, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, PATH and AirTrain.  

Get service alerts and see planned and unplanned service changes and best ways to get around.  

Save favorite routes and stops for quick viewing of arrival times.  

Live bus tracking to see where a bus is located that is approaching a stop, check when it will arrive, and follow it throughout its trip, including instant information on how many stops and minutes away a bus is.  

Real-time on-board crowding for railroads.  

Book Access-A-Ride trips, find pick up and drop off times for trips, and view trip history.  

Improved search making it easier to see which search results are MTA stations and the services offered there at a glance. 

Dynamic strip maps and station views indicate the service that is running at any given time.   

The app was co-developed with Axon Vibe, a smart mobility platform provider and former winner of the MTA’s Transit Tech Lab accelerator. Utilizing this smart transit technology MTA app users will also be able to opt into sharing their location data to receive smart, real-time, location-based notifications for their individual journey. 

The aggregated data will be available to the MTA to better understand ridership and mobility patterns around the New York metropolitan area. This information will assist with improving transit operations to meet the needs of customers and developing innovative tools to help make it easier for riders to plan for transit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This effort was supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). 

“Axon Vibe is thrilled to continue supporting the MTA with our smart transit technology, aimed at promoting sustainable travel and increasing public transit ridership,” said Roman Oberli, CEO of Axon Vibe . 

The app will replace MYmta when it becomes available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store later this year. Riders will not need to download a new app as it will automatically update on a mobile device if MYmta is already installed.     

Members of the public can sign up for access to the app here . 

Metro Matters

News that connects you, metro’s updated web-based trip planner offers better searching, real-time departure predictions, plus a whole lot more.

The new next departure and schedule lookup screen

King County Metro continues making your transit experience better and easier with the launch of its improved web-based Puget Sound Trip Planner . The new site includes upgraded accessibility features and a responsive design for mobile users, along with a list of other notable enhancements. The new web-based Trip Planner is live and ready for use now.

For years, Trip Planner has been an important planning tool used by transit riders throughout the Puget Sound region. This new release has a robust search function with enhanced recognition of both locations and landmarks. Going to your local community center but don’t know the address? Just type in the location’s name and let Trip Planner find the right route for you! The search feature makes planning your trip much simpler.

Another great feature built into the Trip Planner provides real-time departure prediction information for stop locations, along with online timetables for your favorite bus routes. Want to know where your bus is? You can view the route details while the integrated tracker provides a real-time map view of bus locations from the last time they pinged—so you know how far your bus is from your stop.

The new Trip Planner also gives you the ability to set your trip planning options. If you want your plan to contain more detail, such as choosing different modes of travel, maximum walking distance or future travel times or dates, just click the gear icon next to the destination field and a new window will open. From there, select your preferred options and click the “done” button in the bottom right-hand corner. This is a great tool to get the travel plan that is right for you.

If you just want to see options for the near future, when you might only need to adjust time departure or arrival in 15-minute increments or see your options for tomorrow, the quick change options appears after you search. You can quickly change the Travel Mode, Time, and Date fields with arrows that move forward and backward for those fields. This is really useful when you’re planning to leave relatively soon.

Other upgrades to Trip Planner include easy access to transit alerts for your stops and routes, the ability to find the bus stops closest to you, and an option that lists all the direct transit trips between two points within a specific time window.

Please note, the Puget Sound Trip Planner apps for Android and iOS have not been upgraded with all the same features.

As you use the new Trip Planner , please share any feedback about your experience via our feedback form, found by clicking here . We value your user suggestions as we continue improving your transit planning tools.

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3 thoughts on “ metro’s updated web-based trip planner offers better searching, real-time departure predictions, plus a whole lot more ”.

Add Comment

Hmm the trip planner no longer allows me to select the time? Is that by design?

Why did you change the PC version? Now it’s horrible broken. I complained about it and was ignored. Please have some human beings test it and update so it works.

This new trip planner only works if you have Google Chrome. Which I do not and cannot download to my computer. Of course since a resident of South King County my concerns are not important.

Comments are closed.

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ONE to Ride App

The ONE to Ride app acts as your personal guide to riding METRO. Additionally, you can use this app to contact Customer Service, view current Service Alerts and reach the METRO Police Department (MPD) to report suspicious activity.

Our app works best when you allow it to use your current location. Then, each time you open it, an interactive map will automatically detect nearby routes. Depending on your settings, you’ll receive either on-screen notifications or pulse vibrations to help guide you.

Scroll down to learn about the features and how to access the app.

The ONE to Ride app helps you manage your trip on METRO Local bus, Park & Ride bus, METRORail or METRORapid using an interactive map. The app features appear below:

Learn How to Ride

Explore services, regular or discount fares, ways to pay, what to do when boarding and more.

Plan Your Trip

Select your trip time, origin and destination to see which service to use and how long your trip will take.

View Your Route

Pick a nearby route and choose your travel direction, or plan a trip and the app plots your route on the map.

Track Your Ride

View bus symbols on a live map as estimated arrival times appear along the bottom of the screen.

Phone Vibrations

Receive pulses on your phone as you approach your origin, transfer point (if applicable) and final destination.

See Schedules

Select any Local bus, Park & Ride bus, METRORail or METRORapid route to view the schedule.

Search locations

Type in a location to show it on the map, see upcoming arrivals, or set as your start or end point.

Find Retailers

Check out our many retail locations, offering our fare card items, where you can add funds and ride METRO.

Access the App

Here are some different options for accessing the ONE to Ride app depending on the device you’re using to view this page.

I’m viewing this page on a smartphone

Tap the appropriate button below and you'll have the option to either open the ONE to Ride app (if it's already installed on your phone) or download it from the App Store (for Apple iOS) or Google Play (for Android phones):

I’m viewing this page on a computer or tablet and I have an iPhone

Scan the QR code below using your iPhone and you'll have the option to either open the ONE to Ride app (if it's already installed on your phone) or download it from the App Store:

I’m viewing this page on a computer or tablet and I have an Android phone

Scan the QR code below using your Android phone and you'll have the option to either open the ONE to Ride app (if it's already installed on your phone) or download it from Google Play:

Browser not supported

It appears you’re on an older web browser we don’t support. Please try one of the options below so you can view the METRO website.

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Upcoming and on-demand webinars, new york mta unveils new mobile app for trip planning.

August 8, 2023 • From News/Media Release • Bookmark +

The app features schedules, service alerts and more for subways, buses, Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North Railroad all in one place.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that its new MTA app is available for download.

The app is currently in beta testing and will eventually succeed the MYmta app.

The app features schedules, service alerts, and more for subways, buses, Long Island Rail Road , and Metro-North Railroad all in one place.

Users can also book Access-A-Ride trips and see elevator and escalator outages at stations throughout the subway system.   

 “If we want more customers to use public transit, providing travel tools that are easy and intuitive is key,” said Shanifah Rieara, MTA acting chief customer officer. “The new MTA app accomplishes just that, connecting riders to the information they need in one or two taps.”  

Features of the MTA App

Additional features in the beta version of the new MTA app include:  

• Plan a trip to see recommended routes and check schedules for subways, buses, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, PATH, and AirTrain.  
• Get service alerts and see planned and unplanned service changes and best ways to get around.  
• Save favorite routes and stops for quick viewing of arrival times.  
• Live bus tracking to see where a bus is located that is approaching a stop, check when it will arrive, and follow it throughout its trip, including instant information on how many stops and minutes away a bus is.  
• Real-time on-board crowding for railroads.  
• Book Access-A-Ride trips, find pick-up and drop-off times for trips, and view trip history.  
• Improved search making it easier to see which search results are MTA stations and the services offered there at a glance. 
• Strip maps and station views indicate the service that is running at any given time.   

Developers of the App, More Details

The app was co-developed with Axon Vibe, a smart mobility platform provider and former winner of the MTA’s Transit Tech Lab accelerator.

The aggregated data will be available to the MTA to better understand ridership and mobility patterns around the New York metropolitan area.

This information will assist with improving transit operations to meet the needs of customers and developing tools to help make it easier for riders to plan for transit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This effort was supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). 

“Axon Vibe is thrilled to continue supporting the MTA with our smart transit technology, aimed at promoting sustainable travel and increasing public transit ridership,” said Roman Oberli, CEO of Axon Vibe. 

The app will replace MYmta when it becomes available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store later this year.

Riders will not need to download a new app as it will automatically update on a mobile device if MYmta is already installed.

Read More:  NY MTA Testing Q'Straint's Quantum Securement System

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ONE to Ride App

The ONE to Ride app acts as your personal guide to riding METRO. Additionally, you can use this app to contact Customer Service, view current Service Alerts and reach the METRO Police Department (MPD) to report suspicious activity.

Our app works best when you allow it to use your current location. Then, each time you open it, an interactive map will automatically detect nearby routes. Depending on your settings, you’ll receive either on-screen notifications or pulse vibrations to help guide you.

Scroll down to learn about the features and how to access the app.

The ONE to Ride app helps you manage your trip on METRO Local bus, Park & Ride bus, METRORail or METRORapid using an interactive map. The app features appear below:

Learn How to Ride

Explore services, regular or discount fares, ways to pay, what to do when boarding and more.

Plan Your Trip

Select your trip time, origin and destination to see which service to use and how long your trip will take.

View Your Route

Pick a nearby route and choose your travel direction, or plan a trip and the app plots your route on the map.

Track Your Ride

View bus symbols on a live map as estimated arrival times appear along the bottom of the screen.

Phone Vibrations

Receive pulses on your phone as you approach your origin, transfer point (if applicable) and final destination.

See Schedules

Select any Local bus, Park & Ride bus, METRORail or METRORapid route to view the schedule.

Search locations

Type in a location to show it on the map, see upcoming arrivals, or set as your start or end point.

Find Retailers

Check out our many retail locations, offering our fare card items, where you can add funds and ride METRO.

Access the App

Here are some different options for accessing the ONE to Ride app depending on the device you’re using to view this page.

I’m viewing this page on a smartphone

Tap the appropriate button below and you'll have the option to either open the ONE to Ride app (if it's already installed on your phone) or download it from the App Store (for Apple iOS) or Google Play (for Android phones):

I’m viewing this page on a computer or tablet and I have an iPhone

Scan the QR code below using your iPhone and you'll have the option to either open the ONE to Ride app (if it's already installed on your phone) or download it from the App Store:

I’m viewing this page on a computer or tablet and I have an Android phone

Scan the QR code below using your Android phone and you'll have the option to either open the ONE to Ride app (if it's already installed on your phone) or download it from Google Play:

Browser not supported

It appears you’re on an older web browser we don’t support. Please try one of the options below so you can view the METRO website.

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The best trip planner apps to make your travels easier

Booking a trip can be an exciting yet daunting task. As if booking airfare, hotel, and transportation weren't enough, you also need to consider food, sights, and attractions. As a travel lover myself, I often dread planning and preparing for a trip. Not only do I never have the time, but I often get oversaturated by the vast amount of information found online and the fear of getting scammed. 

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Over the years, I've found the best websites and apps to help smooth out the planning process. These apps help me keep track of all my reservations, send me booking reminders, and guarantee I always find the best prices -- because there is nothing worse than falling for tourist traps or overpriced offerings. 

Whether you are a spontaneous or a nitty-gritty planner traveler, ZDNET has tested and reviewed the best trip planner apps on the market. Our top pick for the best trip planner site and app is Booking.com due to its easy-to-use user interface, extensive booking capabilities, and pricing. However, since not every trip or traveler is the same, we've included several options to help you plan and stay organized during your travels. 

Keep reading to learn more about ZDNET's expert-tested and reviewed trip planner apps. 

Also: The best travel gadgets

The best trip planner apps of 2023

Booking.com, best overall trip planner.

• Multiple bookings
• Great deals
• Can earn points from bookings and reservations
• Easy to use
• No group planning
• Can't organize bookings per trip

Booking.com features:   Platform: App and website |  Compatibility:  iOS and Android |  Pricing:  Free |  Booking:  Yes |  Group planning:  No

When planning my trips, I always make a stop at the Booking.com app, especially when reserving hotels. I find their user interface visually appealing and easy to use, and that it provides just the right amount of information I need when scrolling through hotel suggestions. Personally, I enjoy that I can add my top picks to my favorites with a quick tap of a heart, glance through reviews, look at cancellation policies, and even find out how far away hotels are from key spots. Through Booking.com, you can also book flights, car rentals, taxis, and city attractions, making it a great all-in-one place to plan and book upcoming weekend getaways or longer vacations. While I have personally never used the car rentals, taxis, or city attractions components of the app, I enjoy knowing that if I ever needed to, I can quickly hop on my phone and glance at the latest offerings. 

My favorite feature when using Booking.com to plan trips is the offers and promotions it displays for users. In the app, when you click your profile, you can see your "Genius" loyalty program status as well as discover the best deals around the world for your specific chosen dates. My only critique of Booking.com is that it does not enable group trip planning or let you organize your bookings per trip. This means if you are planning a trip with a friend, only one person can book and have access to reservations. 

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Best trip planner for organization

• Synced with e-mail inbox
• Organizes reservations no matter where you book
• Works offline
• Can't make any bookings
• Need to pay for advanced features
• UI could use an upgrade

TripIt features:   Platform:  App and website |  Compatibility: iOS and Android | Pricing: Free or $49 per year | Booking: No | Group planning: Yes

In terms of planning a trip, creating an itinerary, and keeping all your information in one place, TripIt is one of the best travel apps to keep yourself organized. When you first create an account, TripIt will sync with your inbox and automatically add all of your upcoming flights and reservations to your account. You can then modify each trip to include as little or as much information as you'd like. As someone who likes to be spontaneous when traveling, I usually only add the essentials: flight information, hotel reservations, and important documents. However, if you like to plan your trips down by the hour, you can also include activities, restaurant reservations, transportation, and more in your trip plan to share with fellow travelers.

As your trip approaches, TripIt will also send you packing reminders, give you COVID-19 travel guidance, and show transportation options. While you can get most of the essential features within the free version of the app (this is the one I use), you can also pay $49 a year to get advanced features such as check-in reminders, real-time flight alerts, point tracking, and even notifications for drops in airfare prices. 

Keep in mind that while TripIt gives you transportation options and finds places near your hotel, you cannot book or make any reservations directly from the app. The app is solely used to organize and keep track of all of your travel plans in one place, no matter where you book them. 

Best AI trip planner

• Personalized travel itinerary
• Hotel booking
• Can modify recommendations
• Group planning enabled
• Only available as a website
• No flight or restaurant booking

Guide features:   Platform: Website  Compatibility: all major browsers |  Pricing:  Free | Booking: Yes, but hotels only | Group Planning: Yes  Generative AI is everyone's favorite buzzword this year, and slowly but surely, it has been making its way across all industries -- including the travel industry. Guide is an innovative AI travel planning tool that creates personalized travel itineraries based on your preferences. (Full disclosure, it's also owned by ZDNET's sister company. It's currently in private beta, but you can join a wait list.) All you need to do is select your destination, the dates, whether you are traveling alone or in a group, your budget, and the types of activities you are looking for, and Guide will do the planning. 

After generating a trip itinerary for you based on your prompt, Guide then lets you modify and customize the itinerary to your liking. I recently used Guide to plan a six-day trip to Austin, Texas, and this was the feature I enjoyed the most, since I had specific restaurants and activities I wanted to incorporate into my trip, but I also needed some additional recommendations. While you can't book flights or restaurant reservations through Guide, you can book and find great hotel deals powered by Expedia on the platform. 

Guide will also give you an overall budget for your trip, a packing list, and a comprehensive list of things to know about your destination -- which may be helpful for some more than others. While my trip to Austin was a solo trip, Guide has a feature where you can invite other fellow travelers to collaborate in planning your trip through Guide's chatbot, GuideBot. This chatbot also works sort of like ChatGPT, where you can ask GuideBot questions about your trip, your destination, or recommendations. Keep in mind you can not ask GuideBot to directly modify your trip for you, and instead need to manually do it yourself -- believe me, I tried. 

Tripadvisor

Best trip planner app for reviews.

• Countless reviews
• Used by travelers worldwide
• Variety of information
• Booking capabilities
• Great for local spots
• Booking is not its strongest feature and you may not always find the best deals
• Doesn't vet reviews

Tripadvisor  features: Platform:  App and website |  Compatibility:  iOS and Android |  Pricing:  Free |  Booking:  Yes |  Group planning:  No

Reading customer reviews is one of the most important steps when planning a trip. While you shouldn't base all of your decisions on reviews, you should consider past customer experiences to get a feel for the brand and company you are about to trust, or the experience you are going to pay for.  When it comes to travel reviews, Tripadvisor is the best trip planner app to rely on. Since the platform has so many reviews for restaurants, activities, accommodations, and locations all over the world, it is always easy and convenient to log onto the app or website to help you make an educated decision. (However, remember that not all Tripadvisor reviews are legit, since the platform does not independently verify customer postings.) Beyond reviews, TripAdvisor also lets you book hotels, restaurants, things to do, and more while also providing detailed insights into their offerings -- including cancellation policies, ratings, and features. 

Tripadvisor's "Travelers' Choice" best-of list is also a popular part of its platform, allowing visitors to see top-rated destinations, hotels, restaurants, and things to do around the world. With Tripadvisor, you can plan a trip yourself from scratch, hire a trip designer, or get a custom itinerary built by AI. 

Best trip planner app for transportation

• Great multi-mode travel comparison
• convenient and seamless transportation booking
• Multiple currency and language availability
• Flight deals and suggestions are not the strongest
• Limited offers depending on the country or city of travel
• Not the most reliable customer service

Omio features:  Platform:  App and website |  Compatibility:  iOS and Android |  Pricing:  Free |  Booking:  Yes, transportation only |  Group planning:  No

I first discovered Omio when a friend recommended it to me while I was studying abroad in Spain, and ever since I downloaded it, it has become my go-to app for booking the best deals and fares on transportation within Europe. The concept behind Omio is simple: You plug in your departure and arrival location, including the number of people you are traveling with, and add whether you are looking for a one-way or round-trip journey. Omio will then show you the best deals by train, bus, or plane to and from your desired destination, including how much time each option will take you and the number of stops. 

The German-based travel booking site is great at aggregating travel information from multiple sites, allowing you to view all of your transportation options in one place. This is incredibly beneficial when planning trips within Europe since there are several ways you can cross each border and often various languages and regulations to keep in mind. Omio is set in English but has multiple additional languages available, as well as currency options. During my time abroad, I solely used Omio to book all of my transportation, including planning a 17-day trip across seven different European countries. Overall, using Omio was not only convenient and seamless but also helped me save hundreds of dollars by helping me maximize my travel time by switching between flights, trains, and buses. 

However, since returning from Europe, I have not used Omio as much as I thought I would -- maybe because I have a car and take most of my trips by plane. And Omio's flight deals and suggestions are not the strongest compared to Booking.com or Skyscanner's, which heavily focus on flight deals. I have also found they have some limitations depending on the country or city you are traveling in. Be mindful of the deals and tickets you buy through Omio since some tickets are non-refundable, and some customers complain their customer service is not the best -- although I have yet to have any issues with them. 

What is the best trip planner app?

Booking.com gets our vote for the best trip planner app due to its wide selection of accommodations, its points and promotions offerings, and its easy-to-use user interface. Not only does Booking.com help you find the best deals throughout your trip, but it will also help you stay organized throughout your trip by keeping all of your reservations in one place. To determine which trip planner app or combination of trip planners is best for you, check out this comparison chart below. 

Which is the right trip planner app for you?

The best trip planner app ultimately depends on your travel and planning style. If you like booking and planning everything in one place while also earning points and getting great deals, then Booking.com is your top app. However, if you are looking for a place to keep all of your accommodations, reservations, and activity details organized, then TripIt is a better app for you. Check out the following chart to help you find the best trip planner app or a combination of apps for you to plan your next adventure. 

How did we choose these trip planner apps?

To find the best trip planner apps, we drew upon real-life experiences and tested their performance and capabilities during our latest trips. Ultimately, we weighted the following factors when choosing which trip planners to include on our list: 

• Features: Each app can vary significantly with the features it offers, whether it is solely to book flights and hotels, help you plan your next trip using AI, or help you find the best deals and booking information, each app on this list can help you address several common inconveniences that present themselves while planning that next adventure.  
• Compatibility: An app is of little use if it does not work with your devices, so we look to see what compatibility each trip-planning app offers and which platforms you can access it from. Personally, I enjoy apps that combine an app and website component since this quickly helps me switch between my wide computer screen and my tiny yet portable iPhone screen. 
• Customer reviews: We study real customer reviews and ratings to evaluate customer satisfaction and service. This is incredibly important since most times when you travel, you visit an unknown city or country, and you should be mindful of past experiences others have had. 
• Cost : Most trip planner apps are free, but you may have to upgrade to receive special access to exclusive features or deals. If your app is already free, it means you only have to pay a small amount (often unnoticeable) when you book your accommodations. 

What is a trip planner app?

A trip planner app is an app that provides organizational features for your upcoming trip. It is often free and incorporates trip planning tools, whether you are traveling by ground, water or air.   

How does a trip planner app work?

A trip planner app can incorporate special features, like an itinerary, calendar, reservation and booking hub, and map assistance. Depending on the app you choose, there is even trip-sharing with friends and family to simplify the entire trip planning process.  

How much does a trip planner app cost?

Most trip planner apps are free, but some may offer in-app purchases to upgrade or enhance your experience. Within this list, only Tripit costs money, but only for their advanced features version, which costs $49 a year. However, you can get access to most if not all, trip-planning features, through their free version. 

Are there alternative trip planner apps worth considering?

As I mentioned earlier, trip planning heavily depends on your personal style of travel and preferences. However, whether you like to plan your trips down by the minute or prefer to just have the basics, there are several apps that can optimize your planning. Here are a few apps worth considering that almost made it onto our list: 

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Valley Metro 4+

Transit fares & trip planning, valley metro.

• 4.8 • 9K Ratings

iPhone Screenshots

Description.

The Valley Metro app is your tool for taking transit in the metro Phoenix area.  Mobile fare makes taking transit even easier – buy your pass, scan it at the purple fare reader and ride. Trip planning helps you get where you want to go with step-by-step navigation and real-time tracking for bus and light rail. Features: - Buy your fare and scan it at the purple fare readers - View your pass purchase history - Plan your trip with step-by-step navigation - Track your bus or train in real time - View your trip’s travel time - Save your favorite stops - Get service alerts and updates

Version 2.3.0

We’ve made some enhancements and fixed a few bugs

Ratings and Reviews

Your bus driver was awesome My family kind of left for their flight with out any help or a plan for my later flight. I think the driver’s name is Geraldine but gave me all the information I needed and a ride to Panera. It’s surprising how friendly a complete stranger is compared to your own siblings. Thanks again and please consider giving her a raise. She is route 184 and picked me up at the airport at about 8:30

Inefficient morning rides

The east bound buses; Camelback, Indian School, Thomas, McDowell start at 4am-ish but the first two morning runs end at 50-something street, they make sure everyone is off the bus and then continue going eastbound EMPTY!!! How much sense does that make? You’re paying the driver, you’re running the same way, why make people get off the bus and wait for the next bus to maybe show up. I say maybe because I’ve now noticed that the McDowell bus at least once a week, the first bus that runs the full route doesn’t show up? So Valley Metro pays 8 drivers(4 EB routes at 4am and 430am) and at least one other driver that doesn’t show up once a week to not pick up passengers? How can you advertise as being good for the environment when you’re needlessly driving empty after kicking people off the bus? And supposedly just added better morning coverage? Where? How? Brain dead people running this org. And why are the smart cards only available for businesses? 8th largest municipality and we’re going to the gas station to get a bus pass when they could just make the smart cards available to everyone and reloadable from your phone. Or… most smart phones have nfc we don't even need a smart card just need to make the option to do everything through the app. Silly people.

Too Little, Too Late

Valley Metro has a history of stubbornly doing things its own way rather than following best practices in the industry. For years, it has dragged its feet about releasing real-time bus and train location data. With this app, that has finally changed, but the agency is still behind where it should be with respect to data sharing and transparency. The real-time data is helpful when it actually appears, but in my experience it is not uncommon for a “location not available” message to appear when a specific bus is selected. Even when the data is available, there are significant usability issues with this app. If a user pulls up scheduled arrivals for a specific location and then looks to see where a specific bus or train is currently situated, there is then no easy or intuitive way to return to the original list of scheduled service. Finally, I’d prefer not to have to download and install yet another app when both Google and Apple Maps already do a better job of displaying transit information. Valley Metro should focus its efforts on sharing real-time data with established third-party apps rather than creating its own product.

Developer Response ,

We understand your frustration and the delay in technology, but the reason Valley Metro created their own app was to introduce mobile fare tickets in upcoming versions. We wanted to give riders the technology we have now which includes trip planning and real-time vehicle tracking. We are looking forward to mobile fare in the next year and creating even more enhancements for our riders. You can also access our open data feed by visiting https://phoenixopendata.com/.

App Privacy

The developer, Valley Metro , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

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The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

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