Public transportation riders in Maryland will soon have a new mobile tool that aims to make their commutes easier.
Monday, the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration announced a partnership with Transit, a mobile app that provides real-time transit information, as well as simple trip planning, step-by-step navigation, and other features. The app is real for both Apple and Android devices.
The new app will provide "highly accurate location and arrival information for every CityLink, LocalLink, and Express BusLink bus in the BaltimoreLink fleet," MDOT said in a statement.
Riders can use the app to view buses in real time, allowing them to determine which bus to take and how best to time arrivals. Users can also have voice alerts and push notifications go to them for certain routes.
“Our partnership with Transit enhances our BaltimoreLink system by providing the best real-time transit experience for our riders,” MDOT MTA Administrator Kevin Quinn said in a release. “With pinpoint scheduling accuracy at their fingertips, riders won’t have to leave their workplace or home early to wait for the bus. This enhanced feature truly will transform the bus-riding experience for our customers enabling them to better manage their daily schedules.”
In January of 2018, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved a $1.043 million contract for Swifty, Inc., a San Francisco-based software firm, to install GPS tracking on all 753 of the system's buses that will coordinate with the Transit app.
Real-time bus tracking information is also available by calling the MDOT MTA Transit Information Call Center at 410-539-5000 and via text messaging by texting the stop number to MTAMD (68263).
