MTA launches new app with real-time subway and bus tracking
Images courtesy of the MTA
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has revamped its mobile app to provide more accurate, real-time information for subway and bus riders. The update, rolled out Wednesday, allows riders to track trains and buses, receive service alerts, and connect with customer support agents available 24/7. It also introduces new features such as station wayfinding, transfer information, and the ability to save favorite subway lines and bus routes.
Replacing the 2024 version built by an outside contractor, the new app was developed in-house by MTA staff at minimal cost, enabling the agency to make regular updates without relying on third parties. The revamp, designed specifically for subway and bus users, is part of a broader effort to improve the transit experience for New Yorkers.
The app’s developers reportedly ride the transit system themselves, bringing an authentic New York commuter perspective to its design, according to Curbed. The agency also tested the app extensively with outside participants to ensure it accommodates the city’s diverse commuting patterns.
While it presents a new, streamlined appearance, the app retains some of its predecessors’ popular features, including favorited lines, routes, and stops, per-station arrival times for specific trains and buses, improved user location accuracy, and an in-app trip planner.
The app does not store any user data, including location. While it is tailored for subway and bus riders, railroad customers can continue to use the TrainTime App, which allows them to buy and use Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North tickets, plan trips, and track trains.
Access to key information, such as real-time subway arrivals, station wayfinding, and transfer details, has been enhanced to make navigating the subway system faster and easier.
The app also provides more accurate, higher-frequency updates on subway arrival times and locations. It also offers a clearer view of stations with multiple levels and lines, highlights service changes affecting specific lines at individual stations, and shows riders where to stand on platforms for boarding and exiting.
Commuters with disabilities will also benefit from a new accessibility mode. By tapping the wheelchair icon, users can highlight accessible stations, monitor elevator and escalator status, and take advantage of screen reader and font-scaling features. The app also continues to allow users to book and manage Access-A-Ride trips.
Additional improvements include clearer subway direction labels, upgraded service alert icons, and live arrival times for subway-to-subway and subway-to-bus transfers. The app also provides a direct link to the MTA’s official lost-and-found page, making it easier for riders to file claims for lost property.
The new app does not yet allow users to refill OMNY cards or accounts or check their balances, though the MTA told Curbed that this feature is likely to be added within the year.
“The new MTA App is all about giving subway and bus customers the smoothest ride possible. Having quick access to real time arrivals, clearer station layouts, and better transfer information makes it easier to move through the system with confidence. Rider experience is at the heart of everything we do, and the new MTA App reflects that commitment,” Shanifah Rieara, MTA Chief Customer Officer, said.
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