APPS NOW SHOW EXPECTED CROWDING LEVELS ON YOUR BUS
Longueuil, May 20, 2021 — Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL) users can now use the Chrono and Transit apps to plan their trips based on how crowded their bus is expected to be at any given stop.
“RTL users can now access a feature that’s very popular with users of several other public transit systems around the world. This feature will let them plan their trips based on their desired level of comfort—how many seats are available on the bus and how close they will be to the other passengers. We update the service daily, adjusting for the number of buses on each line, whenever possible and based on our available resources. This new feature for the RTL will provide additional information to our users. Remember that masks are still mandatory on all our buses and in our facilities, that strict cleaning measures have been stepped up since the start of the pandemic, and that our buses are safe and not considered a risk for contagion,” explained Jonathan Tabarah, Chairman of the RTL Board of Directors.
The crowding level is now available for each stop on most RTL lines, from Monday to Friday. Users can better plan their trips using a forecast based on the real-time crowding levels over the previous few weeks of service. This will give them a better idea of how many people to expect on the bus. This information is available through two mobile apps.
The Chrono “crowding level” feature
Launched throughout the metropolitan area, the “crowding level” feature in the Chrono app is now available to RTL users. The crowding level on the buses is represented as a scale of 1 to 4, represented by the outlines of people, progressing from green to yellow to orange. This information is a complement to the real-time bus arrival times and accessibility information, all of which are now available at a glance.
The ARTM is also working with the RTL and exo to improve the accessibility of the app; tests will be conducted with universal design organizations as soon as possible.
For more information about the Chrono app, visit our website at Chrono - RTL (rtl-longueuil.qc.ca).
Transit’s predictive crowding level feature
Transit now offers this in-app feature to all transit corporations wishing to inform their users of the crowding level on their vehicles. When a person is considering their transportation options, a bubble appears above each vehicle, indicating whether it is, for example, “usually almost empty” or “usually crowded.” There is also information embedded in the schedules and trip planner to access this feature at all steps in the planning process. For more information about Transit, visit www.transitapp.com.
About the RTL
The Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL) is the main transit provider for individuals within the five cities that comprise the Agglomération de Longueuil.
The third-largest public transit organization in Québec, the RTL operates a network of 793 kilometres. With some 1,100 employees, the RTL is a major employer that contributes to the economic vitality of the region.
Ever receptive to its users, the RTL plays a key role in the lives of the people and the communities it serves by providing solutions that are efficient, innovative, and adapted to the evolving needs
of its clientele. Improving quality of life for the citizens of the Agglomération de Longueuil is a top priority for the RTL.
About Chrono
The Chrono metropolitan app was developed in Montréal in conjunction with the public transit agencies in the region for smart phones that use iOS or Android. Owned by the ARTM, it brings together all the services offered by public transit agencies and other transit partners. Chrono lets you track bus and train movements in real time on the map, plan your public transit trips, like biking, and find the fastest options to maximize your time. It offers the only trip planner that allows live messages on the state of the metropolitan transit networks to be broadcast by the operators themselves. With Chrono, it is also easy to locate a BIXI station near you, confirm the availability of a bike and rent it directly in the app.
About Transit
Transit facilitates the public transit trips for millions of people in more than 300 cities around the world. Users can rely on real-time schedules, plan a trip, activate GO for step-by-step guided trip, and purchase their transit passes. Transit also integrates real-time information and payments for other sustainable transit methods, such as self-serve bikes and scooters, ridehail and carshare. Transit is based in Montréal.