SANTA MONICA, CA - Today, Transit becomes Big Blue Bus's (BBB) official app for trip planning and real-time bus arrival information. As part of this shift, BBB is also partnering with Swiftly, Inc. to help deliver more accurate, consistent, and reliable data to power Transit.
"Combining the ease of use of the Transit app with the high-quality data provided by Swiftly will give our customers a very powerful and reliable tool that will improve their travel experience," said Ed King, Director of Transit Services. "The app will alleviate the uncertainty of knowing when the next bus is coming to your stop and provides additional valuable features such as personalized service alerts and multimodal trip planning."
Transit allows BBB customers to see nearby options and departure times in big text and bright colors. Users can easily navigate Los Angeles County, aided by accurate real-time bus arrival times and trip planning, step-by-step navigation, and crowdsourced real-time information with Transit's GO feature. Transit also brings multimodal options together into one app, including LA Metro, other regional transit providers, bikeshare, e-scooters, and ridesharing services.
When BBB resumes regular fare collection, Transit will integrate a mobile ticketing feature that will allow customers to purchase all BBB passes through the app.
"Partnering with a single app that prioritizes transit makes it clear to riders where they can go for information," said David Block-Schachter, Chief Business Officer of Transit. "We're excited to work with Big Blue Bus and to see more people using Transit as part of their daily routine."
Swiftly's prediction algorithm will be used to generate more accurate real-time predictions across BBB's customer communication tools including bus stops, via text message, phone, bigbluebus.com, and other third-party apps, such as Google Maps.
Transit has millions of active users in more than 200 cities worldwide and is available to download for iPhone and Android at transitapp.com.
About Big Blue Bus
Big Blue Bus operates a fleet of 189 vehicles transporting passengers daily across a 58-square mile service area. Nationally recognized for its long-standing commitment to a cleaner environment, the agency added its first zero emissions bus in 2019. The rest of the fleet operates on other alternative fuels, including renewable natural gas (RNG), a form of liquefied and compressed natural gas (LNG/CNG), which helps cut emissions by up to 90 percent. Serving Santa Monica and the Los Angeles area since 1928, Big Blue Bus has won numerous awards for its marketing, customer service, safety, and efficiency.