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- HOW TO RIDE
HOW TO RIDE
Overview
The MET stops at designated locations marked by MET bus stop signs. A simple wave to the driver when the bus is approaching helps to let the driver know to stop. All MET vehicles are equipped with ADA ramps and kneeling capabilities to assist in boarding; if you need the ramp or the bus kneeled, let the driver know.
Getting on the Bus
Board the bus at designated stop locations throughout the community.
To ensure you are at the correct stop and for ease of trip planning, each bus stop sign has the STOP ID and ROUTES served shown at the bottom of each sign.
It is always a good plan to arrive to your stop earlier than you anticipate the bus arriving.
To ensure you board the correct bus, the route name is displayed over the windshield and curbside window of the bus. The route number is also displayed on the rear of the bus.
Have your fare ready for payment prior to boarding. Use exact fare if paying in cash; drivers cannot make change. If paying with your phone by using the Umo Mobility app or with a printed pass, line up the QR Code with the pass reader's camera. If paying with an UMO Mobility fare card, simply tap your card against the reader. The light on the reader will flash green or yellow when you have used a valid pass; red means the pass is NOT valid. For specific fare and pass information, or to purchase fares, please click here.
Getting off the Bus
To get off the bus, signal the driver by pulling the yellow cord next to the window. The driver will then stop at the next bus stop.
Transfers & the Pulse System
Transfers to a connecting bus to complete a one-way trip are free and the transfer is valid for 30 minutes; if paying in cash, ask the driver for a transfer slip before you disembark the bus. If using a pass or other fare media, scan the media when you board the connecting bus within 30 minutes. Transfers are possible at the transfer centers or at some places where two routes cross.
Please always tell the driver if you need to transfer, even if you don't need to ask for a transfer slip. The driver will notify the other bus of your desire to transfer. The MET System is set up as a "pulse system." This means that a set of buses arrives and departs the transfer centers at the same time and then, around a half hour later, another set of buses arrives and departs the transfer centers.
Reading the MET Bus Map
The MET bus map displays the entire routing system on one side and route timepoint stops with example times for both Weekdays and Saturdays on the other side. Routes are marked with colored lines and corresponding colored circles with the route number inside the circle. Multiple circles on the same street mean multiple routes travel on that street. These same circles are displayed in small transfer center layouts located on either side of the map and show you where the buses park at each location.
The timepoint stops listed on the schedule side of the map are for reference and are NOT the only times or stops the bus will be servicing. The timepoint stops serve as examples of how many minutes past the hour a bus will arrive at that specific stop. These timepoint stop schedules also indicate how often a bus runs (either every 60 minutes, every 30 minutes, or every 15 minutes).
For example, if a timepoint shows 5:45 AM as its example time on a 60 minute route, the bus will arrive at that timepoint at :45 minutes after the hour every hour during MET operations. Many stops exist BETWEEN the listed timepoints; please refer to individual Bus Route Schedules or the bus tracking smartphone app for specific stop locations. A digital copy of the MET Bus map can be found by clicking here; physical copies of the map are available on every MET bus and at locations throughout the community.
Routes that run between the Stewart Park and Downtown Transfer Centers will have an INBOUND run that travels TO Downtown and an OUTBOUND run that travels AWAY from Downtown. Loop routes will have the same stop listed as a starting and ending point.
Reading MET Bus Route Schedules
Individual MET Bus Route Schedules can be accessed by clicking here.
Individual route maps show a detailed map of each route with all bus stops listed by stop identification number. The schedule page of the individual route maps lists each individual stop by STOP ID and a descriptive location. The full timepoint schedule for each route is also listed. Most bus stops listed will be between two reference timepoints. To determine what time to be at your stop, find your stop on the map and use the stop ID listed in the timepoints to determine which two timepoints your stop is between. Be at your stop at the time listed for the prior timepoint (the earlier of the two timepoints).
For example, route 5 - Grand is displayed on this page in map and INBOUND schedule format. In the example, let's catch the bus at stop 0540, which is on the INBOUND trip to Downtown; we'll aim for catching the bus at around 1:00 PM. Find the stop on the map, located at the southwest corner of Grand Ave and 13th St W.
Now, find the two timepoint stops on the INBOUND schedule that stop 0540 is between. Timepoints stop IDs are listed at the top of the schedule table and are also indicated in gray on the stops table; both tables read left to right and top to bottom. Referencing either table, we see that stop 0540 is between timepoint stop 0538 (Grand Ave and 17th St W) and timepoint stop 0545 (Grand Ave and Virginia Ln). We want to arrive to stop 0540 at the time listed for the previous timepoint stop (0538), so we would arrive to stop 0540 at 12:58 PM.
Please keep in mind, the timepoints listed are ESTIMATES based on route timings; the bus may be early or later depending on traffic, the weather, or other issues.
For more convenience and real time bus locations, download the bus tracking smartphone application by clicking the green smartphone app picture on this page.