BusETA

As part of Metro’s efforts to enhance and modernize our customer-facing digital products, we have introduced Rider Tools—a web-based, unified suite designed to help customers easily access information about Metro services. Rider Tools includes trip planning, nearby service information with real-time and scheduled arrivals, rail line and bus route details, and more. As we roll out these new capabilities, we are also committed to ensuring that customers who rely on our legacy products have the support they need to transition smoothly to the new system.

busETA Features

Searching for bus stop code, route, or street address

busETA allows customers to search for bus stops, routes, or street addresses from the homepage. The new wmata.com experience also allows customers to search for bus stops, stations, rail lines items directly from the website homepage using the ‘Arrivals’ component. If customers prefer, they can also search stops/stations that are nearby their current location automatically. All bus routes and rail lines are also available from the ‘Lines’ tab. Rider Tools also introduces the ability for customers to interact with the physical map to set locations and see available service in different parts of the region.

Nearby stops & favorites

Directly within Rider Tools, customers can use ‘Service Nearby’ to see stations and stops close to them or close to a specific location of their choosing.

Similarly to busETA, any page in Rider Tools can be bookmarked. Routes or lines, stations, and stops can all be one touch away in the tool. Future updates will also introduce “Favorites” introducing increased personalization and customization of the platform.

Routes and Route Ladders

After selecting a route on busETA, customers are presented by a route ladder with different directions (e.g., North to Silver Spring or South to Franklin Sq). This equivalent information is available in the Rider Tools ‘Lines’ tab. All routes are searchable and each allows the customer to select their preferred direction, similarly to busETA. An improvement in Rider Tools is that each stop along the route ladder also includes the arrival time of the next bus at that stop. The map also shows the alignment of the route and selecting “Tracker” allows populates the real-time locations of the vehicles on the map. Selecting any vehicle open the specific vehicle view, allowing customers to track the vehicle’ status and estimated arrival time at the upcoming stops. The route detail page also includes information on any alerts/advisories that may apply to the route as well as bus dynamic schedules and maps and timetables.

Stop detail

A major advancement over busETA comes when considering the stop details. When entering or engaging with a stop detail page, customers see all services that service a particular stop, including the arrival times for each service. We also display any alerts affecting the stop (e.g., temporary detours/stop closures), as well as delays or issues affecting the routes that serve the stop. We also convey information about the stop’s location, street view of the stop to aid in wayfinding, and accessibility of the stop (when the information is available).