Live map tracking arriving soon to Muni transit shelters

Muni riders who rely on the NextBus information on screens installed in transit shelters will begin to see new, larger screens and maps showing where buses is currently located.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is adding the dynamic map feature to new LCD screens where riders will be able to track the location of the bus along with the predicted arrival time, SFMTA spokesperson Stephen Chun said.

SFMTA Director of Transit Julie Kirschbaum said at the transit agency’s Sept. 19 Board of Directors meeting that the new feature will provide Muni passengers with more certainty that a bus is arriving at the predicted time:

“This will also make it easier for customers to manage their time, reducing uncertainty and improving the customer experience.”

The SFMTA has been installing new and larger LCD screens at transit shelters with more accurate prediction of Muni vehicles and information about crowding. Double-sided LCD screens have been installed at certain high-ridership transit shelters.

Kirshbaum said more than 400 new screens have been installed and that the SFMTA plans to accelerate the installation this fall. The SFMTA will eventually install over 800 new LCD screens.

As for the new map feature, Chun said the SFMTA is currently working on deploying the map at 140 locations this week with another 174 planned for the rest of October and through November, adding:

“We will continue to expand locations as we complete necessary operating system upgrades to installed signs and add new signs into 2024.”

Additionally, the SFMTA is working on better tracking vehicles when there are delays leaving the terminus. Chun said that the agency is working on enhancements to the NextBus system to reduce those spooky“ghost buses,”where arrival predictions count down but the bus never shows up, then the prediction disappears

Chun said:

“Digital maps will help in this regard, as customers will see actual vehicle locations.”