At Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT), the days of standing at the bus stop waiting and wondering when your ride will arrive are officially over! 

Thanks to SacRT’s new BusTracker App, you can now know exactly when the next bus will show up at your stop. In fact, you can even watch an interactive map on your cell phone or computer as a little bus icon glides down the street toward you.  

“It takes the guesswork and the worry out of bus riding,” SacRT Director of Customer Satisfaction Jamie Poole-Canevari said of the new app. “You no longer wait for your bus. You meet it.” 

The free app also lets you sign-up for real-time notifications via email or text that alert you when your bus is headed your way and an approximate time when it will arrive. Riders can also receive alerts if there are service disruptions, such as delays or cancelations, on their chosen route or routes. 

The new technology, in riders’ hands, available on a smartphone marks a notable step forward in convenience and peace of mind at SacRT. Busy workers can know the right moment to head to their stop, and shoppers focused on merchandise can know precisely how much time they have to finish up before the next bus arrives.. However, it’s still recommended to arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes early of the estimated arrival time. 

SacRT already has been offering a similar bus-tracking website. The new app however has more useability and added features, Poole-Canevari said. She says people who have been using the website can easily switch over to the app. 

“The set-up requires a little bit of input from the customers,” she said, “but the new features are worth it.” 

Helen O’Connell, an Oak Park resident who takes buses several times a week, was among the first SacRT riders last month to download the new app and says it has made a notable difference for her. 

“I think it’s cool,” she said. “It tells me fairly accurately when the next bus is coming, and tells me several buses after that.” 

She uses SacRT buses and light rail for medical visits and shopping excursions, as well as to the YMCA and to the Ethel Hart Senior Center for the “craft and chat” program. Her go-to bus is usually the route 51, accessible just a few blocks from her apartment. 

“I judge how long it takes me to get to the bus stop so I can get there a few minutes before the bus,” she said. “That makes it a lot less stressful. It gives me more physical security.” 

The app also alerts her if a bus has been canceled. “I need to know that especially if buses are canceled in the early mornings.” 

The app’s GPS-based system allows you to register all your preferred bus stops so that you can quickly access them each time you click on the app. 

For basic instructions, visit our SacRT BusTracker web page at sacrt.com/bustracker.  

The first step is to go to the app store on your mobile phone, and then type in “SacRT BusTracker.” Then tap “Open,” and that will automatically download the app icon onto your smartphone. 

The SacRT BusTracker app is designed to be simple and easy to use, but new technology can sometimes be confusing. SacRT’s customer service staff are trained to help guide riders who are uncertain about how to use the app, Poole-Canevari said. 

Riders who have questions or concerns can email us at customeradvocacy@sacrt.com or call 916-321-BUSS (2877).