D.C. - Online Real-Time Arrival Schedules

By Richard Layman

I know that WMATA does a bunch of feeds for PDAs, but I don't use a PDA. While at the Regional Bus Transit conference yesterday, I learned that the feeds to the signs that we see in the subway stations are also available online.


1. On the homepage, pick maps and stations, the first tab on the left hand of the screen.
2. Then pick "Find a stop/station."
3. Choose a station, such as Union Station.
4. On the screen, click on this text: Next Train Arrival.
5. And you'll get the information for the next three trains.

Thank you to Fred Candelaria of WMATA for showing me this!

I haven't heard of many systems which have been able to supply this service efficiently, but WMATA has done a great job with bringing their information to their riders. In an era where PDA's and internet-capable phones like Blackberry's and Treo's, having real-time arrival schedules posted on the web is a wonderful idea and shouldn't be too hard to do for transit systems already tracking arrival times for station monitors.

Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space (Blog), WMATA