The Rapid announced it is introducing its partnership with the Transit app to make navigating its bus system easier.

The partnership provides a mobility app free of advertising. When customers open this free app, they see nearby route options and departure times in big text and bright colors. App users can navigate all bus services in the six cities served by The Rapid, aided by the app’s many features, according to The Rapid's news release.

“We are committed to providing an excellent customer experience and making bus riding easy for everyone,” said Deb Prato, CEO of The Rapid. “The Transit app makes trip planning easy. Customers can have confidence that they are getting on the right bus at the right stop with step-by-step directions to guide them through their travel.”

Features of the Transit app include:

• Step-by-step navigation along with walking directions to bus stops.

• Subscription to service alerts – like detours – for your most frequent routes.

• Ability to pin your most used bus routes so they always display at the top of the list.

• A favorite locations feature for quick directions to your home, work, and other destinations.

• GO sessions to get audio or notification guidance throughout your trip – like departure alarms, alerts when your stop is approaching, and real-time bus trackers you can see on the map.

• Trip planning with multiple route and transportation options, like biking and walking.

• Option to look up directions for when you need to arrive or when you need to depart.

• A leaderboard feature allowing users to compete for top rider by route.

“Since Guillaume and I started Transit a decade ago, our mission has been to help people get around without their own car. As the company has grown, we’ve always put public transit first, collaborating with our partners across the industry to put everything riders need together in one place,” said Sam Vermette, CEO of Transit. “By providing free Royale subscriptions to everyone who rides, we’re working hand-in-hand with our partners at The Rapid to bring the best app experience to riders.”  

The Rapid’s partnership with Transit offers customers upgraded memberships to Transit Royale. This allows users to see all bus routes, unlimited bus schedules, customizable themes, as well as personalized avatars allowing users to compete for top rider status. The Transit app is available to download through the App Store and Google Play.

For those not familiar with paying for transit, users can use cash or The Wave card, The Rapid’s smart transit pass. Adult customers receive the best value by using a Wave card or can pay $1.75 per ride with exact cash. With the Wave card, customers earn $3.50 daily and $47 calendar month passes. Wave card users also get free transfers within one hour and 45 minutes. Specialty Wave cards, like youth and reduced fare, require picture identification and can be purchased at The Rapid’s Information Center within Central Station.

Under this partnership, The Rapid said it will receive use reports and communication customizations to better serve its customers. The reports provide insights into customer perception and travel patterns that can be used to help improve services. Also included is the ability to send quarterly notifications directly to customers via the Transit app.