The Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) is rolling out a new bus tracking system, renovating its central bus waiting room at Union Station, and preparing a major agency-wide rebranding that will give Worcester's transit buses a fresh new paint job.
New bus tracking and trip planning tools
Over the fall and early winter, the WRTA installed a new real-time bus tracking system on all of its vehicles. The agency says that the new system delivers "more accurate, real-time bus location information and improved reliability."
The system includes new information screens on board WRTA buses that will display route maps and list upcoming stops (see photo at left).
A live map of the WRTA's bus system with real-time location data of all of its in-service buses is available here.
The WRTA also announced a new partnership with the Transit app, a popular transit navigation planner that provides simple access to bus schedules and uses real-time bus location data to alert riders when they should leave to catch their bus.
Under that partnership, WRTA riders will have full access to the Transit app's "Royale" features, which are typically only available to users who pay an extra fee.
Union Station bus hub renovations
The WRTA is also starting work this week on a major renovation of its indoor waiting room and customer service counter at the "Central Hub" bus depot on Foster Street, next to Worcester's Union Station.
The project will also include new public restrooms and increased indoor seating capacity for the waiting room, which is located next to boarding platforms for more than 20 WRTA bus routes.
Rebranding
Finally, the WRTA has announced a major rebranding with a new slogan, "moving the Worcester region forward with heart," and a logo that consists of two intertwined hearts.
The rebranding references Worcester's city seal and its identity as the "heart of the Commonwealth."
The WRTA expects to re-wrap its buses in the new color schemes over the winter, and the agency plans a formal launch event on Friday, Feb. 13th – the day before Valentine's Day.
