The popular trip-planning app is using its data to invent the bus of the future Since it was launched in 2012, the transit app Citymapper has improved the bus riding experience just by letting users know how long they?ll be waiting at the bus stop. Now that it?s grown into one of the world?s best-loved apps for getting around cities, Citymapper is using its data to build what they claim will be the world?s best bus system. And it?s testing it right now on the streets of London.
In a Medium post, Citymapper explains how years of looking at transit data in cities revealed gaps in bus service?as well as solutions to address them. ?We found we can figure out how to improve existing routes in all of our cities. We can also identify new and better routes,? reads the announcement. ?If we?re going to solve urgent problems of congestion and infrastructure, we need buses to improve, to operate smarter. In the era of smartphones we can have responsive buses that react to realtime needs.?
Just had the most pleasant and enjoyable bus journey on the @Citymapper bus. Absolutely lovely driver and team. I didn't stop smiling! pic.twitter.com/nvf67TKcwd? Miriam Hanna (@Miriam_Hanna) May 9, 2017

Citymapper?s Smartbus is currently operating two free test buses in partnership with Transport for London that run fixed circulator routes along high-demand corridors. But the idea is that once Citymapper analyzes the passenger data from those buses, it will be able to create on-demand, cus...