Where’s my LA Metro Bus? Version 1.1

Developed by Alex Grinman, Brookline High School, MA

This app is intended for Los Angeles residents who use the same bus routes everyday to get to work or to school. It can help them decide if they have to rush to make the bus, or if they can restfully finish their morning coffee without fear.

The app's user interface is designed to be very simple and intuitive. There is nothing extra: you select your bus route, whether you are going North, South, East, or West, and your bus stop (the closest stop to you will be highlighted if you allow location services). The app will then predict the arrival time for up to four incoming vehicles and you can locate the first one on the map. You can save stops as favorites to ensure quick access to them at any time. You can also see LA Metro alerts and service advisories.

There are two optional settings. You can choose to go straight to the last stop you viewed, whenever you load the app. You can also turn on automatic refreshing of prediction times and bus locations on the map.

This app relies on LA Metro’s partner, NextBus, which releases information, including real-time GPS locations and arrival countdown information, for all bus routes. This App is compatible with the iPhone and iPod Touch, but it requires an Internet connection (3G or WiFi) to get access to NextBus, who actually provides the real-time data.