“New Online Tool Allows Customers to Check on Estimated MetroBus Arrival Times” reads the headline of Metro’s September 13, 2013 press release. The “newer” technology will help customers track bus arrival times and is the first phase of technology advances made possible by the passing of Proposition A in 2010.
“‘We are really excited to be able to bring this new technology to our customers, but we won’t stop there,’ said Ray Friem, Metro Chief Operating Officer Transit. ‘In the next year, we hope to roll out the cell phone application. That will mean you can stand at your bus stop, punch in the stop number on your smart phone and find out when to expect your bus.'”
To use the new technology, go to the trip planner on Metro’s site and either type in your departure address, or click on the map to mark your location. You then have the option to use a hyperlink to “find nearby stops.” When you click the link, it shows a map of all the transit stops in your area. Then, when you select a stop on the map (marked by pins), you get a small profile of the stop, a list of the buses that serve that route and the next scheduled departures from that stop. From there, you can select another hyperlink that says “get next departures,” which will then give you live information on the scheduled versus estimated departure times and links to alerts that impact each specific route. It’s pretty cool, actually. We all know how difficult it is to wait in any sort of line, stop, etc. when we have no idea what to expect. This feature will allow all smart phone users to get the information they need to decide whether its worth the wait, or if they have time to pop in for that cup of coffee before jumping on the bus. It gives customers the information they need to plan their trips on transit
We hope you enjoy the new feature. Customers who need assistance planning their trips, may call 314-231-2345 in Missouri or 618-271-2345 in Illinois Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.