What’s the best public transit app?

Submitted by fanosffloyd t3_z5uh1f in washingtondc

Edit: thanks for Al the suggestions! I tested them all out and found that City Mapper reigns supreme! At least for my purposes. It’s times are accurate, it’s directions are on or with google maps, it puts your train/bus’s depart time on your Lock Screen so you don’t have to stop and open it while you’re rushing to make your train, it lets you pick routes like “dryest route, fastest route, bus only, bikes, scooters” I am absolutely loving this app. I’m the last person to pay for a non ad version of an app but im gladly handing over the dollar fifty a month for this service.

Ijust got the unlimited metro card and I’m trying to find the best app for directions and times.

Google maps is great for where to go but it’s bus times are all wrong

Metro app is perfect for bus times but is useless for telling me how to get somewhere.

I tried “transit” but it always gives me terrible routes that take double the time they should.

Anyone have any suggestions? Going back and forth between google maps and metro app is confusing and time consuming. Need one that has accurate times and good directions. It has to exist in 2022 right?

12

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

GuyNoirPI t1_ixyp7dq wrote

Citymapper is great.

28

jackay t1_ixyxfta wrote

Second this! It's super thorough I love it.

2

Miawouss66 t1_ixynxps wrote

Transit app is pretty good 😊

17

KittyLikesTuna t1_ixyoe9f wrote

I second Transit, but OP says they don't like it. OP, have you checked that your settings are the way you want? If you're having convoluted routes, do you maybe have "minimize walking" turned on? Or certain buses turned off?

10

simmer_down_yall t1_ixywbnz wrote

MetroHero is my go-to, although it's better for trains than buses

13

Mumbleton t1_ixyxhfq wrote

MetroHero has great data for the metro

11

fanosffloyd OP t1_ixz3qpx wrote

I tried it and for busses it asks “what’s your start and end bus stop numbers”

That’s the information I came here for! Lol

3

SluggingAndBussing t1_ixz06du wrote

Transit, CityMapper, MetroHero

4

fanosffloyd OP t1_ixz3lqo wrote

After doing some tests, looks like city mapper for the win! It has the directions like google maps and the times line up perfectly with the metro app. Thanks!

Metro hero makes you put in the bus stop numbers (what?) Transit wasn’t giving me the best routes Metro app is only good for timing Google maps was good for everything but timing.

4

mrgrimwig t1_ixyq4iv wrote

I’ve had similar confusing/annoying experiences with transit. I use Citymapper for routes, Metro hero to know where trains are

3

fanosffloyd OP t1_ixz3sfh wrote

After doing some tests, looks like city mapper for the win! It has the directions like google maps and the times line up perfectly with the metro app. Thanks!

Metro hero makes you put in the bus stop numbers (what?) Transit wasn’t giving me the best routes Metro app is only good for timing Google maps was good for everything but timing.

1

mrgrimwig t1_ixz5yk0 wrote

I didn’t know buses were part of Metro hero. Citymapper’s bus data seems to match Metro’s data

2

fanosffloyd OP t1_ixzn2t2 wrote

Ya I’ve been testing it all morning and it’s really great. I bought the yearly script

1

GreyEcho t1_ixzc5fi wrote

MetroHero's Metrobus support is primarily for commuters who regularly go to and from the same bus stops, hence the bus stop number requirement. For what it's worth, you can look up those numbers on buseta.wmata.com. It's also worth noting that our bus predictions may differ from WMATA's as we compute them ourselves.

2

pizzajona t1_ixz70mc wrote

DC Metro and Bus is my favorite. Bus times are much more accurate than Google and Apple Maps

EDIT: is “DC Metro and Bus” the same as the “Metro app”?

2

fanosffloyd OP t1_ixzmy17 wrote

Ya, and you’re right! They are the most accurate, however it’s not really helpful if you’re taking a new route or going somewhere you’ve never been cause you gotta jump back and forth. I’ve been testing “city mapper” and it’s within the minute to metro app. I’m loving it.

Also it has directions on the Lock Screen so you don’t have to jump in, it lets you pick cheapest, driest, bus, metro, and for 20 bucks there’s no annoying ads like on metro app (which really pisses me off, our taxes are paying for metro app why are there ads every single you time you look at it?)

1

erichinnw t1_ixzegzd wrote

I kinda like Moovit. It searches everything we have available and gives me the ETA for each - for the bus function, it lets me know when it's time to get off at the best stop.

1

XxBigCxX t1_iy9gxft wrote

When you find one let me know because as of now, none exist.

1