The MTA's bus time program is expanding to Staten Island, meaning riders will be able to see every bus on every route in real time.
The program, which was tested in Brooklyn and worked well, allows commuters to use the MTA website or your smart phone to track the bus. A barcode at the bus stop can be scanned, or riders can send the bus stop code and the route number to 51123 to get updated bus information.
"I catch the bus at all kinds of times of the day and on the weekends," one rider said. "So it'll give me a heads up, definitely."
MTA Bus Time lets you use your computer, cell phone or other tech device to get information about when the next bus will arrive at your stop, even if you are still at home, the office, shopping or dining. Staten Island bus riders are the first to benefit from this new borough-wide technology.
Instead of waiting for the bus, now you can meet it.
Here's how to connect with MTA Bus Time.
Visit MTA.info/bustime from your desktop, smartphone or PDA.
Enter the bus route, intersection or bus stop code. The map will show you where buses are along the route and how many stops away the next bus is.
To get your bus stop code, simply mouse over your stop on the map.
You can also text your bus stop code or intersection to 511123. You'll get a text back with how many stops away the next bus is.
You can find your bus stop code online at MTA.info/bustime or at bus stops (new bus schedules installed over the next few weeks will highlight the specific bus stop code).
Also, a Quick Response (QR) code is available at bus stops. If you have a smartphone with a QR reader, just scan it and get info on how many stops away the next bus is.
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