The agency says a new software update will remove out-of-service buses from maps so riders aren’t ‘ghosted’ by buses that never show up.
After persistent rider complaints that D.C. Metro buses frequently disappeared from the real-time busETA tracking website, the agency says it has upgraded its software to remove out-of-service buses from user-facing maps, including busETA, Google Maps, and Transit.
According to an article by Colleen Grablick in DCist, the agency also promises to make the electronic station displays more accurate in the coming weeks, eliminating the ‘ghost buses’ that have made bus schedules unreliable.
The ‘ghost bus’ problem isn’t just an inconvenience, Grablick explains. “Stops can get more crowded when a scheduled bus doesn’t arrive, causing the next bus to stop frequently, slowing down travel times.”
The announcement follows other recent good news for D.C. transit riders: improved service starting in May, free bus rides starting next July, and a new low-income fare program.
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
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Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research