L.A. Metro’s Transit app now predicts crowding levels on buses

Crowding levels on buses are now available through the Transit app, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (Metro) official app.

The new feature in the app will use recent ridership numbers to predict the crowding levels on L.A. Metro buses. Just tap on the bus icon and crowding levels will show up.

With coronavirus still spreading in the region, the predictions will help riders decide whether they want to ride L.A. Metro, wait for another bus or seek another way to reach their destination.

The estimated number of riders is shown using three levels and is based on the size of the vehicle. In the app, riders will see these three designations:

• Usually many seats available means that 0-33 percent of seated capacity is being used.
• Usually seats available means that 34-85 percent of seated capacity is being used.
• Usually standing room only means that 85 percent or more of seated capacity is being used.

The predictions are based on regularly updated data collected in the prior two weeks from automated passenger counters on L.A. Metro buses. That allows the Transit app to predict the number of riders on any L.A. Metro bus at a particular time, location and direction of travel, following the most recent ridership trends.

Nearly one in three LA-area app users told Transit in a June survey that having this type of crowding information would get them riding the bus more often. Over the past couple weeks, L.A. Metro says it has been testing the feature and has found it to be very reliable. In spot checks that compare Transit’s prediction to actual conditions aboard buses, L.A. Metro says it found the estimates from Transit to be accurate more than four out of five times that L.A. Metro spot checked it.

At present, L.A. Metro is running about 78 percent of its pre-pandemic service for about 40 percent of its pre-pandemic ridership. That means that most of the buses and trains have room for social distancing at most hours of the day.

The agency says it also knows that some lines have become more crowded in recent weeks as more people are out and about and returning to work. In late July, the agency added more trips to several bus lines.

New bus crowding predictions in the Transit app are the first result of collaboration between data teams at L.A. Metro and Transit since the app partnership was announced in May, when Transit became L.A. Metro’s official app. Transit replaced the agency’s old app, which has been phased out.