On Monday, Metro Transit announced the launch of the new metrotransit.org, a Website that has been redesigned and streamlined for easier navigation and faster access to the tools riders need to plan their travel.

The new homepage features a rotating window that offers direct access to each of Metro Transit’s main services: buses, light rail, Northstar commuter rail, bicycling and ridesharing.

The star of the new Website is a robust, interactive regional transit map. Users can zoom in on a transit stop and see the routes that serve it as well as view the NexTrip real-time and scheduled departures from that stop. With another click, customers can plan a trip to or from that stop.

Visitors to the new site will notice a “toolbox” on the right side of every page. In it are the most commonly used tools:

• Online Schedules - View and print timetables and route maps
   

• Trip Planner - step-by-step itineraries

• NexTrip - real-time and scheduled departure times

• Detours & Alerts – information about unscheduled service changes

• Personal Schedule – creates custom schedules for specific stops

• Services Finder – a quick way to find Park-and-Ride lots, fare retailers, etc.

Through the online Metro Transit store, customers can purchase and add value to Go-To Cards, and purchase tickets for rides on Metro Mobility. Additional enhancements to the store function are planned in the months ahead, including the ability to have value added automatically to a Go-To Card when its value gets low.

The site includes sections that highlight events and promotions, and projects to improve transit service and customer facilities. It also features a link to basic transit information translated into Spanish, Hmong and Somali.