Public transportation is an essential aspect of urban living, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is the go-to option for travel across the Greater Boston area. With a vast network of subways, buses, and trains, navigating the MBTA system can be overwhelming, especially for newcomers. Fortunately, there are several mobile applications available that can simplify the process of using the MBTA. This article focuses on the best free MBTA Android app, which provides users with a comprehensive and user-friendly interface for accessing essential transit information.
The app is designed to offer a seamless experience to users, allowing them to plan their commute, track real-time arrival and departure times, and access relevant service alerts, among other features. Users can search for specific stations or routes, set up reminders for upcoming trips, and save favorite destinations for quick access.
We have compiled a list of 7 Best Free Mbta Android App for your consideration, which have undergone rigorous testing and evaluation by our team of experts.
Table of Contents
7 Best Free Mbta Android App
1. Transit: Bus & Subway Times
Transit is a multi-functional app that provides real-time city travel information for over 300 cities worldwide, covering buses, trains, Ubers, Lyfts, and other modes of transportation. It offers users precise real-time predictions for public transit, smart and efficient travel plans, and step-by-step navigation, making it ideal for unfamiliar destinations. The app is designed with a clear, bold interface to ensure that users don’t get lost or stuck at the stop.
Regardless of whether one is new to a city or a frequent subway rider, Transit is an award-winning app that is highly recommended. Supported by over 200 transit systems, the app has received numerous accolades such as Best Overall App to Navigate NYC, and is trusted by major media outlets and tech critics.
Transit offers various useful features such as real-time maps that show the location of one’s ride, subway maps, a trip planner that works offline, and the ability to explore different combinations of trips to find the best and fastest route. It also provides real-time predictions for specific transportation modes and a step-by-step navigator, including transfers, with voice reminders to start walking to one’s stop, hurry up if the bus or subway is arriving early, and where to get off. Additionally, the app has schedules, route itineraries, and connecting lines at every stop.
2. MBTA See Say
The MBTA See Say App provides a discreet and fast way for riders to report suspicious activities directly to the Transit Police. Riders can send text messages, pictures, and locations of suspicious activity through the app, and there are two easy options for contacting Transit Police from the home screen. The Report a Problem button allows riders to send text or photos directly to Transit Police, while the Call Transit Police button connects customers directly to Transit Police.
The application is designed specifically for the T, and reports will be stored and sent when connectivity returns in areas without cellular connectivity. To ensure timely response, the system sends texts before pictures.
Users can sign up for MBTA T-Alerts through the app to receive notifications of service delays and disruptions. Additionally, the SeeSay app may display BOLO alerts from the MBTA, such as information about a missing person and where they were last seen. If a user sees the person, they may call or send a report to Transit Police.
3. MBTA Tracker
The MBTA Tracker app is a useful tool for commuters in Boston, providing high-resolution maps, arrival time predictions, schedules, and service alerts for the entire MBTA transportation system, including subway lines (green, orange, blue, red, and mattapan), commuter rails, boats, and buses. The app offers several features, such as favorite stops and routes, trip information with route path and vehicle location, nearby stops with arrival time predictions, and a twitter feed with official MBTA tweets. The app also supports Android Wear and has a dark theme for Android Q. Additionally, users can request new features or suggest modifications to existing ones.
It is important to note that the app is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or officially connected with the MBTA or MassDOT, or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. The names MBTA and MassDOT, as well as related names, marks, emblems, and images, are registered trademarks of their respective owners. The app uses data provided by MassDOT real-time API, which includes the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and its divisions, agencies, and authorities within the jurisdiction of MassDOT, including the MBTA and the Massachusetts Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs). It also includes the Massachusetts Port Authority (MassPort), or its successor, as well as any third-parties with which MassDOT may partner to provide data on or through the Developers Page.
4. MBTA Boston Bus and Rail Tracker
The MBTA app is a useful tool for planning and tracking bus or rail rides in the Boston, Cambridge area of Massachusetts. It provides real-time information on bus and commuter rail arrivals, departures, and predictions for the MBTA bus agency.
The app offers a range of features, including the ability to lookup real-time MBTA bus and commuter rail arrivals, departures, and predictions. Users can also find arrival and departure information for nearby MBTA bus and commuter rail stops, check schedules, and favorite stops for quick access to predictions.
Additionally, the app allows users to get predictions from other routes that share the same stop all on one screen, look up MBTA bus and commuter rail maps, and view live buses and vehicles on a map. The interface is designed to be simple, straightforward, and easy to use.
Users are encouraged to provide feedback to the app’s developers to help improve its usefulness. Any problems encountered can also be reported to the developers for resolution.
5. Boston Transit: MBTA Bus, Subway & Rail Tracker
The Boston Transit app provides real-time bus arrival predictions and schedules for MBTA, the bus agency that serves Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. The app uses NextBus data to offer accurate real-time predictions to its users. In addition, the app offers a trip planner feature that allows users to plan their trips from start to finish, ensuring they arrive at their destination on time.
The app’s key features include the ability to plan A-to-B trips with ease, view schedules and route itineraries, and receive real-time MBTA bus and subway arrival predictions. Users can also use the app to locate nearby bus, rail, and subway stops, as well as find bus route schedules. Additionally, users can favorite their stops and lines for quick access to their predictions and create alarms for their departures and share their bus, rail, and subway departures with others.
Furthermore, the app offers MBTA service alerts from Twitter, an offline map of the MBTA subway, metro, rail, and boat, and Boston weather predictions, along with new app themes to choose from. Users can also access the full timetable to see upcoming scheduled arrival times and look up subway, commuter rail, and bus maps.
Finally, the developers welcome feedback from users to improve the app’s usefulness. The app uses NextBus services to provide its real-time information, and users can rely on the app for accurate bus and subway arrival times.
6. MBTA mTicket
The MBTA mTicket App allows commuters to purchase MBTA Commuter Rail and Ferry Single Ride, Round-Trip, 10 Ride, and Monthly tickets quickly and securely using their smartphone. The app allows commuters to select their trip and ticket type, and enter their payment card information. Once purchased, the ticket will be stored in the My Tickets section of the app, making it easily accessible and transferrable if the phone is lost or stolen. The app also allows commuters to check schedules and service updates within the app. The app is updated regularly to improve its features and user experience.
The app offers secure ticket purchasing with credit or debit cards and eliminates the need to worry about zones. Commuters can easily check schedules, maps, and service alerts within the app. The app also features new offers from JustRide and the MBTA.
It is important to note that while the app supports Android devices, support for beta versions or experimental features is not guaranteed, and customers using such features do so at their own risk. Feedback on the app can be provided through the MBTA website.
7. MBTA Rail
The MBTA Rail app is a tool designed for experienced Boston commuters to track their trains’ location and status. The app allows users to access real-time information such as the next and current stop, GPS location, predicted arrival times, vehicle speed, and coach numbers. Furthermore, the app provides train track numbers for trains leaving South Station/North Station/Back Bay. Users can also view their train on a map along with other trains on their route.
The app also includes crowd-sourced information that allows users to discuss predictions, delayed trains, or standing room availability through the Reports button next to each trip. The historical coach numbers, boarding tracks, and average on-time percentages are also visible on the app. In addition, the app provides full schedules with predicted arrival times for each stop and alerts users of service disruptions such as delays, cancellations, and track changes.
It is essential to note that the app does not make any predictions itself. The data is sourced directly from the MBTA’s real-time feeds, which is collected through the use of PTIS equipment installed on the trains. The app’s interface only provides a medium to access the MBTA’s data. The app is clean, user-friendly, and ad-free, and the developers are not affiliated with the MBTA, Keolis, or MassDOT.
The MBTA Rail app is not suitable for new commuters or those looking for trip planning. Instead, they can use either the Transit app or the official MBTA website.