Joe Clark, Twin Transit general manager, shows off one of Twin Transit's new apps Thursday.
Joe Clark, Twin Transit general manager, shows off one of Twin Transit's new apps Thursday. One app allows riders to purchase and store bus passes, while the other allows them to track Twin Transit's buses through GPS.
When it comes to catching your bus on time in Centralia and Chehalis, it turns out there’s an app for that.
This week, Twin Transit announced the launch of two apps for smartphones and personal computers designed to make it easier and less stressful to catch a bus in the Twin Cities.
The first of two new applications, Token Transit, allows riders to buy single-use, daily and monthly passes for Twin Transit. Once riders have purchased tickets through the app, they can scan them when getting on a bus.
The second app, Unite GPS, tracks each of Twin Transit’s buses. Now when a person is waiting at a bus stop in the Twin Cities, they don’t have to wonder in vain if their bus is on time, behind schedule or leaving them in the dust, according to the agency. They can pull up the app and track their bus in realtime.
“It eliminates some of the anxiety,” said Andrea Culletto, community relations manager for Twin Transit.
The apps are both available on the Apple store, Google Play and TwinTransit.org.
The applications aren’t geared only toward locals, said Twin Transit General Manager Joe Clark.
“We think this is really a great opportunity for visitors to the community,” he said. “For visitors in the community it’s just a real enhancement. … We see it as an opportunity for economic development.”
Bus stop signs will also soon have QR riders can scan with their phones, which will direct them to the Twin Transit website.
In the future, Twin Transit hopes to be part of an agreement between other transit agencies in Southwest Washington to all use the same apps as part of a regional network, Clark said. This would allow them to honor each others passes and make it easier for riders to travel throughout the region without switching to different formats of passes and maps.
