SMSMyBus is a mobile telephone application that lets you find real time bus arrivals for the Madison Metro. Just text your request to 608.467.1603 to receive real time arrival estimates.

locate by bus

<route #> <stop #>
Find the arrival for a specific bus route at a specific bus stop.

For example, texting "19 1787" will identify the next three buses to arrive at Pinckney/Main on the Square.

locate by stop

<stop #>
Find the arrivals of the next four buses at a specific bus stop.

For example, texting "1787" will identify the next four buses to arrive at Pinckney/Main on the Square.

More ways to find your bus!

The following methods can be used to query the Metro system as well. Follow the same rules as above when you're searching for a bus at a particular stop or all buses for a stop.

Google Talk / Jabber

Jabber your query to smsmybus@appspot.com, and we'll reply back with your results. The syntax is identical to the SMS syntax.

Email

Email your query to request@smsmybus.com with the details in the subject line, and I'll reply with your details.

Phone (beta)

Dial in using the same number - 608.467.1603 - and follow the prompts. Please send me your feedback.

Invite your friends

You can invite your friends to use the SMS service by sending me their mobile number. Just send me a text with "invite ##########" in the message and I'll forward an invitation to them.

Are you a developer?

Take advantage of the SMSMyBus API to build your own transit application for the Madison Metro.

The API provides access to real-time arrival estimates, location data, and more. Go check out the documentation.