WASHINGTON — Commuting on the Metro is about to get a little bit easier. WMATA recently announced that Apple Map users will be able to see real-time Metro train and bus information.
"Customers using Apple Maps will now see detailed transit schedules, live departure and arrival times, the current location of a Metro train or bus, and system connections to help plan their journey," WMATA said in a statement.
Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld is calling this service a "game-changer." He said it'll improve trip planning, and will provide more precise Metro information to users.
"We want to make choosing Metro as simple and convenient as possible, and a key element of success will be providing real-time transit information as broadly as possible," Wiedefeld said.
The new data feed is called General Transit Feed Specification Real Time. WMATA said this feed will give users more accurate information on third-party apps, and will "allow developers to integrate live train and bus information in new and innovative ways."
WMATA said it's opened GTFS-RT to selected mapping services and to all registered third-party developers.
"Metro’s commitment to open data began nearly a decade ago with the release of rail and bus schedules through APIs in 2010, followed by GTFS scheduled data the following year," WMATA said.
This data will be provided throughout the 117-mile Metrorail system, and WMATA makes it available to developers free of charge.
