Commuters are now able to digitally track real-time arrival times for the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus.
Big Blue Bus officials announced the new service on the NextBus site Wednesday, after making it available to users July 1, said Suja Lowenthal, a spokeswoman for Big Blue Bus.
Once riders arrive at a bus stop, they can use their phone’s Web browser to access NextBus or text 41411 with the bus stop’s designated number to receive real-time arrival times for buses that pass through the bus stop.
Big Blue Bus officials decided to pursue a partnership with NextBus because Big Blue Bus surveys showed customers already used the service.
Los Angeles County Metro buses and trains, as well as UCLA’s BruinBus, are currently included in the service.
Google also became another developer that began showing Big Blue Bus arrival times on its trip planner, Lowenthal added.
Lia Aguilar, an ecology and evolutionary biology researcher who uses the Big Blue Bus every day, said such a service would help her know how quickly she needed to get to the stop in order to catch her bus.
Compiled by Roberto Luna Jr., Bruin senior staff. Contributing reports by Catherine Liberty Feliciano, Bruin senior staff.