Waiting for the Q60 on Queens Blvd. (Photo: QueensPost)
Feb. 24, 2014 By Christian Murray
Queens and Brooklyn residents who take the bus will soon be able to tell via smartphone apps and text messages when the next bus will arrive, according to the MTA.
The new system—called MTA Bus Time– will be available along every bus route in Queens and Brooklyn by March 9. The service is already available to riders in the Bronx, Staten Island and Manhattan.
Riders will be able to track where their bus is located at a given time on their smartphones. Those without smartphones will be able to text the service to see how many stops away their buses are.
“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,” said MTA New York City Transit President Carmen Bianco in a statement.
Transportation advocates welcomed the news, although they continue to push for the installation of digital wait-time displays at bus stations throughout the city.
Riders are able to download the free app at bustime.mta.info or get a text message with the next bus in their area by sending the nearest intersection to 511123.
