Svc. Becomes Available March 9
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced Monday, Feb. 24, that its live bus tracking service, MTA Bus Time, is expanding to cover all Brooklyn and Queens’ bus routes.
Customers can get the locations of Brooklyn and Queens’ buses in real time via smart phone, web and text message. With the impending expansion, the MTA claimed it has fulfilled its promise of offering MTA Bus Time on every bus route in New York City during the first quarter of 2014.
“MTA Bus Time has added a new dimension to bus travel in Brooklyn and Queens, completing installation citywide,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast. “MTA Bus Time allows you to use your computer or phone to ‘Know Before You Go’ to keep you informed of your bus’ expected arrival at the bus stop.”
“MTA Bus Time is yet another way we are trying to improve service for our customers,” added Carmen Bianco, president of MTA New York City Transit. “As we have seen with train arrival information in the subway, customers appreciate when they know when that train or bus will show up at the station or stop.”
“Removing the guesswork from the bus trip through real-time arrival information is exciting for me, and I look forward to seeing every bus in the city equipped with MTA Bus Time,” said Darryl Irick, senior vice president for buses for MTA New York City Transit and President of the MTA Bus Company. “The implementation of MTA Bus Time is another way we’re improving the customers’ experience.”
The routes to be added on Sunday, Mar. 9 are the: B1, B100, B103, B11, B12, B13, B14, B15, B16, B17, B2, B20, B24, B25, B26, B3, B31, B32, B35, B36, B38, B39, B4, B41, B42, B43, B44, B44-SBS, B45, B46, B47, B48, B49, B52, B54, B57, B6, B60, B62, B64, B65, B67, B68, B69, B7, B70, B74, B8, B82, B83, B84, B9, BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4, BM5, Q1, Q10, Q100, Q101, Q102, Q103, Q104, Q11, Q110, Q111, Q112, Q113, Q12, Q13, Q15, Q15A, Q16, Q17, Q18, Q19, Q2, Q20A, Q20B, Q21, Q22, Q23, Q24, Q25, Q26, Q27, Q28, Q29, Q3, Q30, Q31, Q32, Q33, Q34, Q35, Q36, Q37, Q38, Q39, Q4, Q40, Q41, Q42, Q43, Q44, Q46, Q47, Q48, Q49, Q5, Q52, Q53, Q54, Q55, Q56, Q58, Q59, Q6, Q60, Q64, Q65, Q66, Q67, Q69, Q7, Q70, Q72, Q76, Q77, Q8, Q83, Q84, Q85, Q88, Q9, QM1, QM10, QM11, QM12, QM15, QM16, QM17, QM18, QM2, QM20, QM21, QM24, QM25, QM3, QM4, QM5, QM6, QM7, QM8, X27, X28, X37, X38, X63, X64 and X68 lines.
The expansion adds more than 9,000 bus stops to the MTA Bus Time system, bringing the total to more than 15,000. Crews have now installed enhanced GPS hardware in 5,500 buses operating in all boroughs.
MTA Bus Time began serving all bus routes on Staten Island in January 2012, all bus routes in the Bronx in November 2012 and Manhattan in October 2013.
MTA Bus Time uses location data provided by an enhanced global positioning device mounted inside each bus. That information is transmitted wirelessly to a MTA Bus Time server using onboard cellular equipment. The server integrates bus location data with bus route info, schedules and map files to output the information received by bus customers.
MTA Bus Time can be used in three ways:
– Click it: From any web-enabled smart phone or desktop computer, just go to bustime.mta.info and enter a bus route, intersection, street address, landmark, or bus stop code. You’ll get a map showing where buses are located within the specific route or region you’ve searched. Click on a bus stop or a bus for more detailed information.
– Text it: Text an intersection or street address to 511123 from any cell phone to receive a message listing local bus routes. Select a route and direction to learn the location of the closest bus stop and how far away the next buses are. Bus distances are given in terms of miles away if the bus is far, in terms of bus stops away if it’s close
Riders can save a step by texting a bus stop code instead. Bus stop codes are provided in text responses, are online at Bus Time’s website, and printed on the Guide-A-Ride schedules posted at bus stops.
– Scan it: If you have a smart phone with a QR Code reader, scan the QR Code printed on the Guide-ARide schedules posted at bus stops. Without touching a button, your smart phone will instantly take you to information about buses approaching the stop where you’re standing. Because of Hurricane Sandy and the nor’easter, some bus stops do not yet have Guide-A-Rides showing the QR Codes and bus stop codes. They will be updated soon, according to the MTA.
MTA Bus Time is made possible by a number of contractors, including Cubic Transportation Systems, Cambridge Systematics, Verifone, Open Plans Transportation, and Mobile Commons.
For more information, go to https://bustime.mta.info/.
