Columbia Transit Enters the 21st Century

A new smart-phone app is making waves in Columbia, MO and making city-wide public transportation easier and more convenient than ever, and eliminating long waits at the bus stop.

John Glascock, Director of Public Works, says "The installation of this new technology is one of the first steps being implemented to revive Columbia Transit as outlined in the CoMo Connect project, and we are excited to be able to offer this kind of service to the community." The new DoubleMap app not only has a catchy name, it also brings cutting edge GPS tracking technology to the area that puts Columbia, MO ahead of the modern transit systems in our larger neighboring cities, Kansas City and St. Louis.

The free mobile application uses real-time GPS bus tracking to allow anyone to locate a near-by bus route and plan for the best time to arrive and board. By offering the information at the customer's fingertips, commuters can track the exact location of the bus in real time and stop wasting time at the bus stop. The customer-focused design is intuitive and is intended to decrease wait times with an estimated time of arrival for each bus, and long bus stop waits will become a thing of the past.

The DoubleMap app comes to Columbia as the initial stage of a larger transportation improvement plan. "Over the next several months, Columbia Transit will embark on a community project to affect substantial and meaningful changes in the bus system that are intended to better serve the needs of current and future customers," says Drew Brooks, Transportation Administrator at the Public Works Department. According to Brooks, the goals of the CoMo Connect project are to develop a strategic plan for the future, utilize innovative concepts and processes, be responsive to the customers and stakeholders, design a system for growth, and live within our means.

Users can now download the DoubleMap app for free on any Apple or Android device or any other mobile browser, and be connected immediately. Desktop users can view the GPS bus tracking features at Columbia.DoubleMap.com/Map or by visiting the Columbia Transit website at GoColumbiaMo.com. DoubleMap is also currently working on even more new innovative features for the app for a future release.