One year ago, as part of our efforts to improve public transit service across Southeast Michigan, we rolled out the Royale red carpet and launched Transit as our official app, providing trip-planning and real-time information for public transit users around Southeast Michigan.
At the beginning of our partnership, we knew that Transit was already the preferred app for many of our riders. When we launched in November 2025, 53,000 people across Southeast Michigan originally opened the app, planning nearly 560,000 trips in total, each month.
Today, we’re positively jubilant to share that over 65,000 riders open Transit on a monthly basis, planning up to 800,000 trips a month! That’s 22% more riders, planning nearly 45% more trips than before the partnership was established!
Riders can use Transit’s GO mode to track their journey and get step-by-step directions. When we launched, riders used the GO feature just over 78,000 times per month. Now, usage is over 142,000 taps – an 82% increase! This is a great signal that riders across Southeast Michigan are embracing the app and finding it useful for planning their commutes.
How did we get here?
Metro Detroit transit riders have many choices for public transportation across the region: the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT), Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority’s TheRide, Detroit People Mover for downtown Detroit travelers, and of course, Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan’s (RTA) own services: D2A2, DAX, and QLINE.
Before our partnership, getting around Southeast Michigan required multiple apps and an in-depth knowledge of the individual operators and who runs which service. Additionally, not every operator had their own app, creating an uneven customer experiences across the region.
We saw this as an opportunity to unite services and transit providers across the region, giving riders a better, smoother way to plan their trips.
With Transit, riders can plan trips that mix and match with their local providers, all in one app. You can book on-demand trips with SMART Flex and FlexRide, and purchase fares for DDOT, SMART, and TheRide within the app features.
Thanks to funding support from the Michigan Department of Transportation, every rider in Southeast Michigan can use Transit Royale for free. Millions of Michiganders have access to Transit’s premium features like unlimited departure schedules, additional trip planning options, and personalized profiles with custom avatars, nicknames, and app themes.
Making Metro Detroit look dashing in Transit
Before the launch, Transit’s team carried out data reviews and made sure schedule and real-time information was consistent and harmonious across all of Southeast Michigan’s service providers – starting with QLINE, DDOT, SMART, TheRide and the Detroit People Mover. Since then, we’ve worked together to make Transit usage more helpful in Southeast Michigan.
In our most recent additions, riders using Transit to purchase fares for DDOT and SMART services can now purchase multiple tickets in the same transaction, a new feature used over 2,000 times in its first month. In-app ticket purchases for D2A2 and DAX are on its way, and the RTA is working to get real-time info for these services online next year.
Keeping you in the loop
One of the reasons we chose to work with Transit was the ability to share updates and news with you through the app with informational banners. In the last year, we’ve been able to inform our riders about free transit days, summer events, station closures, Ride to Rise free student fares, and more. Banner notifications were translated to Spanish and Arabic, so language would not be a barrier, and we could better inform our community of riders.
On average, 11,000 people saw each banner campaign. These campaigns make sure you never miss important updates, like service changes, new schedules, travel discounts, or community events.
A most recent feature is the ability to show detoured lines in the app for SMART, DDOT, and TheRide services. If your trip is detoured, you’ll see the new line on the map and Transit will include the detoured service in its trip plans, helping you avoid any missed rides.
Get on the Royale bandwagon
If you haven’t already been using Transit to navigate through Detroit and beyond, you can download it here. Through our partnership, our riders get free access to Transit Royale, Transit’s premium subscription, plus all the perks of the RTA and Transit’s partnership, including:
- Unlimited departure schedules
- Additional trip planning options
- Multimodal trip plans including SMART Flex and FlexRide
- Custom app themes and icons
- In-app fare payment on DDOT, SMART, and TheRide
- All that, on top of the most powerful trip planning tool in public transit.
View real-time vehicle locations on the map
Transit app has real-time information for all our transit services to help you get around Southeast Michigan.
Get step-by-step guidance with “GO”
Tap “GO” to remind you when to leave, transfer, and get off the bus. Subscribe to push notifications to know when you’re almost there and when you’ve arrived.
Ride with just a tap
No matter how you pay, Transit app users can purchase tickets multiple rides and service providers directly in the app.
Sign up for service alerts
Stop moved? Disrupted service? Find out before you leave. View service alerts in Transit App and subscribe to push notifications for your favorite routes.
Help out your fellow riders
With “GO” crowdsourcing, you can rate-your-ride and receive real-time reports about crowding and accessibility based on what other riders are experiencing.
Personalize your ‘GO’ avatar
Customize nicknames, avatars, app icons, in-app icons, and color schemes, creating a more personalized and engaging experience.
Find fast and accessible ways to travel
Combine bus service with walking, biking, and other transport options, and select accessibility settings based on your needs.
Choose your custom commute hours
Whether you’re working the night shift, making it to a morning class, or anything in between, riders can customize the hours they receive service alerts.
Share your live ‘GO’ trips
Transit app users can share their location and trip status while using the app’s “GO” feature. Sharing your “GO” trip lets people know where you are, where you’re going, and when you’ll get there – all in real time!
See your trip history
Use “GO” to keep track of your past trips and see how far you’ve traveled on public transportation. See your top speed, total trips, riding time, number of riders helped, and more!
It’s been a great first year with the Transit team, and we’re excited to carry out our work together, to make transit travel easier to Get on Board.
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