Taking the bus in Springfield is about to get even easier, with real-time schedule updates coming to Google Maps on Monday, March 28th!

SMTD’s static schedule information has been available on Google Maps and other navigation apps since 2015 and real-time bus tracking was made available on the SMTD website in early 2019 as part of our CAD/AVL implementation. This upgrade merges the two, enabling our real-time updates to be published directly to Google Maps.

Here are some answers to questions you’ll likely have:

How frequently does the data update?

Every 30 seconds.

Will the real-time information be accessible on the desktop browser version of Google Maps, or is it limited to the mobile app?

The desktop browser version of Google Maps will display on-time status for routes when you request directions, but will not display vehicle locations on the map or departure boards when selecting a bus stop. These features are only available on the Google Maps mobile app currently.

Will other apps have real-time integrations?

Google Maps is the first but won’t be the last. Because we are making our real-time data available in the GTFS-RT format, you can expect to see it incorporated into more apps and services in the future, including Apple Maps, Bing Maps, Moovit, HERE WeGo, and more.