Phone Interface

You can get real-time arrival info on your plain-Jane cellphone (or landline). Just call our number, enter your stop number, and have real-time bus arrival info read over your phone.

Quick Start

  1. Find your stop number.
  2. Call 206-456-0609.
  3. Press 1 to enter a stop number.
  4. Enter your stop number, followed by the # sign.
  5. Listen as real-time arrival info is read to you over the phone.

For tips and tricks on finding your stop number, check out our guide.

Your Default Search Location

When you use the phone system for the first time, we will ask you to enter your zip-code so that we can provide results relevant to your area among the multiple transit agencies supported by OneBusAway.

If you need to change your default search location, see the instructions below.

Tips and Tricks

How can I get arrival info for just a single route?

At busy stops, it can take a while to read all the arrival information, but you often want to know about just one route.

  1. Wait until arrival information is being read for a specific stop (see Quick Start for more details).
  2. Press 1.
  3. Enter your route number, followed by the # sign.
  4. Listen as specific arrival information for that route is listed.
  5. To go back to the full listing of all routes, press *.

How can I bookmark a stop?

It can be annoying to have to remember the stop numbers that you frequently use. Fortunately, you can bookmark your frequent stops for quick access.

  1. Wait until arrival information is being read for a specific stop (see Quick Start for more details).
  2. Press 2.
  3. Your stop is now bookmarked

How can I access my bookmarked stops?

From the main menu, press 3. At this point, your bookmarks will be listed by address. You can quickly access each bookmark by pressing 1, 2, 3, etc for the number corresponding to each bookmark.

How can I search for stop?

If the stop number is missing from the posted schedule, you can search for stops by route number.

  1. From the main menu, press 6.
  2. Enter your route number, followed by the # sign.
  3. Select the final destination of the route from the list.
  4. Pick amongst the stops listed for your route until you find the appropriate stop.

Hint: You can move backward and forward through the long stops list by pressing 4 and 6, or jump even further backward or forward with 7 or 9.

How can I access my most recent stop?

If you've recently checked the arrival information for your stop and wish to quickly access the same stop on your next call, simply enter 5 at the main menu.

How can I change my default search location?

When you use the phone system for the first time, we will ask you to enter your zip-code so that we can provide results relevant to your area among the multiple transit agencies supported by OneBusAway. You can change your default search location using the following steps:

  1. From the main menu, press 7 to manage your personal settings.
  2. Press 1 to change your default search location.
  3. Enter the zip-code for your location, followed by the # sign.
  4. Your default search location has now been updated.