NextBus, the service that shows when Metrobuses will arrive, has been offline for too long -- since September 2007 -- and the recent test site many people used in the meantime was just shut down by WMATA. We demand that WMATA release the NextBus site, as it could be very useful and save a lot of time for Metrobus riders. We want Metro to know that we want this service badly.
NextBus was suspended in September 2007 with Metro officials saying it'll take 18 months to fix. It's been almost that long, and Metro spokesperson Steve Taubenkibel said on Feb. 26, 2009 that it would be "several more months until we are ready." The technology is already used elsewhere - please finish NextBus for WMATA now!
NextBus, the service that shows when Metrobuses will arrive, has been offline for too long -- since September 2007 -- and the recent test site many people used in the meantime was just shut down by WMATA. We demand that WMATA release the NextBus site, as it could be very useful and save a lot of time for Metrobus riders. We want Metro to know that we want this service badly.
NextBus was suspended in September 2007 with Metro officials saying it'll take 18 months to fix. It's been almost that long, and Metro spokesperson Steve Taubenkibel said on Feb. 26, 2009 that it would be "several more months until we are ready." The technology is already used elsewhere - please finish NextBus for WMATA now!
We the undersigned have been waiting for the NextBus service for some time. In September 2007 it was shut down and Metro officials said it would take 18 months of work for it to be ready again. It's been almost that long and we want and need the service, and the test site that many people used was just taken down.
The NextBus service could save many people a lot of time, and we request that it be released soon.
8:41 am PDT, Jul 1,Jory Hearst, Washington D.C.
I use the buses to get to and from work (live in Mt. Pleasant, and work at Politics & Prose Bookstore in upper NW), and it's so frustrating to be constantly late for work, not matter how well I plan my time. I love the buses, but they are so inconsistent and NextBus would be a great help so once I got to stop I could weigh my options better. Thanks!
# 156:
12:03 pm PDT, Jun 30,Mark Ludwick, Washington D.C.
# 155:
8:43 am PDT, Jun 18,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
# 154:
8:59 am PDT, Jun 5,Sterling Johnson, Washington D.C.
I ride the bus because I am disabled and cannot drive a car. Nextbus is a service that would greatly increase my quality of life. Thank you.
# 153:
8:01 pm PDT, May 11,Kevin Fanfoni, Washington D.C.
People understand if they buses are running late, but they need that information communicated to them so they schedule accordingly. I would think happy riders lead to more riders which can lead to higher revenues and more buses.
# 152:
10:32 pm PDT, Apr 24,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
# 151:
11:17 am PDT, Apr 20,Ken Gary, Washington D.C.
# 150:
4:17 pm PDT, Apr 18,Jamie Lee, California
# 149:
3:37 pm PDT, Apr 16,Martha Patzer, Washington D.C.
# 148:
9:29 am PDT, Apr 1,David Guard, Washington D.C.
Wake up people -- it's 2009...this isn't hard to implement...
# 147:
8:14 am PDT, Mar 31,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
I am a bus and train rider daily and would love to have a better idea of when the buses will ACTUALLY come.
# 146:
8:44 am PDT, Mar 30,Jennifer Sammons, Washington D.C.
I would like to ride at night but don't feel safe standing at the bus stop alone. This service would make a night out feel much safer for me.
# 145:
7:48 am PDT, Mar 26,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
# 144:
2:34 pm PDT, Mar 20,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
# 143:
6:14 am PDT, Mar 18,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
# 142:
5:51 am PDT, Mar 14,Steve Klein, Canada
# 141:
5:02 pm PDT, Mar 11,Tim Maher, Washington D.C.
NextBus, woo hoo!
# 140:
8:05 am PDT, Mar 11,Matija Jevtic, Washington D.C.
# 139:
6:59 pm PDT, Mar 10,Vesna Barackov, Washington D.C.
# 138:
6:53 pm PDT, Mar 10,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
# 137:
6:51 pm PDT, Mar 10,Boris Miric, Washington D.C.
# 136:
12:00 pm PDT, Mar 10,Name not displayed, Maryland
# 135:
8:14 am PDT, Mar 10,Kelsey Anderson, Washington D.C.
# 134:
12:21 pm PDT, Mar 9,Julie Gauthier, Washington D.C.
When buses don't operate on the posted schedule, you need a service like NextBus to take some of the guesswork out of riding. I promise in advance not to complain if it isn't perfect!
# 133:
4:42 am PDT, Mar 9,Chris Salvatori, Washington D.C.
# 132:
3:20 pm PDT, Mar 8,Name not displayed, Virginia
Three years ago, when I first moved to the metro area, I was planning to live with some friends in a house steps away from a bus stop in Bethesda. As I was staying with a friend and waiting to move in, I discovered just how unreliable the region's bus services are, and I decided I didn't want to deal with that hassle everyday. Instead, I moved close to a Metrorail station, contributing to the high rents near stations. The quality and reliability of the bus service was the key factor in deciding to move where I did. Had there been less uncertainty about when the next bus would arrive, I might have stuck to my original plan and paid much lower rent (which would be helpful these days).
Nowadays I don't even take the bus for short recreational trips, because it's too hard to figure out what bus to take or when it will arrive. The Metro trip planner, in my experience, is next to useless for figuring out bus trips. With better information, like NextBus, I'd undoubtedly take the bus more often. And if ever there were a problem on Metrorail, or I found myself in an unfamiliar area, it would be great to pull up NextBus on an iPhone and figure out how to get where I'm going.
I don't care if the service isn't 100% production-ready. As a software developer, I know that it's important to get user feedback in the early stages of a design process and at each step along the way. Constant feedback keeps designers from getting off track, and it means that when the final product is released, the service will be something that users expect and can use effectively. On release date, I want Metro and NextBus to have a finished and tested product, rather than a bug-ridden system that's never been tested by regular users, which may need to be taken offline for additional development and repairs.
We're adults, Mr. Catoe, and we can handle a service that's not 100% complete. It's better than what we have now and could help people get where they're going.
# 131:
5:02 pm PST, Mar 6,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
I will re-iterate some comments that others have made:
"As my household is car-free, I rely on the buses to get me places. Access to Next Bus 1) makes me able to use my time more efficiently; 2) makes waiting for the bus more safe; 3) helps to convey the message that our bus system is modern and useable by the masses."
"This service would greatly improve my quality of life, as well as save me a significant amount of time, and keep me from seriously considering buying a car to avoid dealing with the bus system, which happens often while I stand outside waiting for the bus."
"I was riding buses much more often when you had the NextBus arrival website up. It is such a useful tool, even if sometimes it is inaccurate! It's especially helpful on bus lines that don't run every ten minutes, or on Sundays. PLEASE bring it back!"
# 130:
2:02 pm PST, Mar 6,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
I'd use the bus more if this service was available.
# 129:
12:08 pm PST, Mar 6,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
Please hasten the reinstallation of NextBus, both for our safety and trust in the metro system.
# 128:
7:00 am PST, Mar 6,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
Information is power. The more information people have about public transportation arrival times the more likely they are to use it.
# 127:
6:47 am PST, Mar 6,Sarah Baker, Illinois
# 126:
6:15 am PST, Mar 6,Robert Mandle, Washington D.C.
As my household is car-free, I rely on the buses to get me places. Access to Next Bus 1) makes me able to use my time more efficiently; 2) makes waiting for the bus for myself and my wife more safe; 3) helps to convey the message that our bus system is modern and useable by the masses.
# 125:
7:58 pm PST, Mar 5,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
# 124:
4:42 pm PST, Mar 5,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
Dear WMATA, I am avid metro bus rider. I see no practical reason why you shut down the nextbus test site. Please allow us to use this great service as soon as possible.
# 123:
2:40 pm PST, Mar 5,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
# 122:
2:00 pm PST, Mar 5,Carolina Mejia, Washington D.C.
NextBus would increase ridership by making bus riding feel as realiable as metro since you would know when the next bus is on the way. The not real-time information from Wmata.com often lacks the realiability and frustrates public transport commuters like myself.
# 121:
12:24 pm PST, Mar 5,Anand Trivedi, Washington D.C.
# 120:
10:59 am PST, Mar 5,Hassan Symes, Washington D.C.
# 119:
10:24 am PST, Mar 5,Krysta Curl, Washington D.C.
Please release a beta version of NextBus for Washington D.C. bus users! I ride the 90's, the P6 and the G8 almost daily and feel like I spend half my life waiting for the bus. The schedules are either rarely posted at bus stops and are often inaccurate due to reasons beyond WMATA's control. This service would greatly improve my quality of life, as well as save me a significant amount of time, and keep me from seriously considering buying a car to avoid dealing with the bus system, which happens often while I stand outside waiting for the bus.
# 118:
9:52 am PST, Mar 5,Name not displayed, Virginia
# 117:
9:24 am PST, Mar 5,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
Please please please give us this service. I am so sicking of freezing to death every morning waiting for the D6.
# 116:
8:27 am PST, Mar 5,Eleeza Agopian, Washington D.C.
Why is it that every time I take the 50 bus they're 20 minutes apart instead of 10 and bunched together in twos or threes? I'm tired of unreliable service and unresponsive drivers and staff.
# 115:
7:34 am PST, Mar 5,Jennifer Sloane, Washington D.C.
I used to live in Glover Park. All i had to get me downtown to meet friends were the D's- unfortunately, at night they'd only run every 40 minutes (maybe) and never on schedule. so in order to make sure i could catch a bus to meet someone at 10PM, i had to leave my place at 8:30 - to make sure i didn't miss the one bus that would be coming in the next hour- because who knew when in that hour it might come? (if at all). THIS is why i want nextbus.
# 114:
5:39 am PST, Mar 5,Name not displayed, Washington D.C.
I take Metro bus every morning and evening to go to work, the gym, and home. I have options to take the S buses, the 42 & 43, the H buses and the buses on 14th st. Knowing which bus will come next and with a more accurate arrival time would be much more useful than the bus schedule - which is a joke.
# 112:
8:32 pm PST, Mar 4,Yochanan Zakai, Washington D.C.
I ride the S2 every day and would benefit from knowing when the next bus is coming. I use the WMATA mobile site to find out when I need to run to the metro station and when I can walk slowly. Having that info for the bus, even if it is in a beta/incomplete form, would be a great help!
# 111:
4:25 pm PST, Mar 4,Yoel Krigsman, Maryland
# 110:
1:26 pm PST, Mar 4,Elia Boggia, Washington D.C.
I use the bus sometimes, but with such a system back in place i'd use it so much more often!
# 109:
1:06 pm PST, Mar 4,Sarah Spaulding, California
# 108:
1:04 pm PST, Mar 4,Pretentious Yuppie, Washington D.C.
I know that METRO has bus schedules online, but that is not sufficient. I demand an app on my ipod that tells me when the next bus is coming
# 107:
12:46 pm PST, Mar 4,Katy McIntyre, Washington D.C.
I've spent too many wasted hours waiting for a bus to show up-- or not.
# 106:
12:46 pm PST, Mar 4,Heather Thompson, Washington D.C.
# 105:
12:15 pm PST, Mar 4,T Joyce, Washington D.C.
I was riding buses much more often when you had the NextBus arrival website up. It is such a useful tool, even if sometimes it is inaccurate! It's especially helpful on bus lines that don't run every ten minutes, or on Sundays. PLEASE bring it back!
# 104:
12:14 pm PST, Mar 4,Erin McEntee, Washington D.C.
# 103:
12:00 pm PST, Mar 4,Sara Seavey, Washington D.C.
# 102:
11:56 am PST, Mar 4,Matt Billings, Washington D.C.
I want NextBus. Please fix it and bring it back.
# 101:
11:42 am PST, Mar 4,Justin Johnson, Washington D.C.
