Beach Bound? South Padre Island introduces new transit mobile app

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — Walking the Island strip is always fun.

But it can get tiring on a windy day and under the sun walking to the opposite side of the beach to get to the book store, waterslide park or favorite beach access.

The Island Metro bus system is just another way to get around the popular beach town.

And now there is a mobile application to track the bus in real-time.

The city of South Padre Island Transit Department recently launched the Ride System mobile application that Island Metro and Metro Connect Blue Line riders can now use on a mobile device or a desktop to plan their transit trip more efficiently.

“I think its going to increase ridership,” said Jesse Arriaga, South Padre Island transit director. “The app is easy to use and it will tell you how long the wait time is for any bus stop.”

The mobile application was introduced to city leaders at a recent city meeting.

And the city leaders downloaded the application during Arriaga’s introduction of the service.

He said they were excited as they watched the city bus arrive at its destination and upcoming stops down the boulevard on their phones.

“It’s going to benefit the local people and tourists,” Arriaga said. “And we thought having the application available could boost ridership.”

He said often times a lot of people try to estimate when the bus will arrive and sometimes miss their ride and end up waiting and waiting for a long time.

All that has changed with the launch of the mobile application, he said.

“Now the bus can be tracked in real-time with any mobile phone,” Arriaga said. “People can get where they need to go and don’t have to worry about missing the bus anymore.”

Arriaga said just trigger the application and find out where the bus is and when it’s heading to a stop nearby to get a ride to the movies or to the other end of the Island.

“This mobile app gives a better opportunity to serve existing riders and attract new passengers,” stated Darla Jones, assistant city manager. “The Transit Department is dedicated to making public transit a viable transportation option in the City of South Padre Island.”