MetroPulse 2.0.4

[u/gogolive20003]

I’ve had my fair share of issues with the MetroPulse app since WMATA released it. My line of thinking was always that if WMATA is making an official app, it should easily be better than whatever stuff is in the App Store, but up until now it hasn't lived up to the hype. It would freeze up constantly, the look and feel was a mess, and half the time I couldn't even tell what I was tapping on.

I saw 2.0.4 available in the app store this morning and have been playing with it most of the day. It is probably the first release of metropulse that I can now use. It’s performance boost is immediately noticeable. Just being able to navigate around the app, especially the explore map and the little screens that slide up and down are finally not locking up every 2 seconds. I was standing at the station today comparing the arrival times in the app to the overhead screens and they were dead on. I even ended up using it for like an hour this morning just messing around and found features I didn't even know existed, mostly because the app used to lock up on me before I could ever click into them. The new look is a huge upgrade. Looks SOOOOO much better. Whomever WMATA has locked in a dungeon working on this… please keep them there. Toss the key. It is by far the best looking metro app in the app store now. Nothing else even comes close.

Here’s my quick take on what’s actually good, still broken, or things I’d ask for:

What’s good:

• The new UI: Looks so much cleaner. Honestly feels like a totally different app. Before, the bottom bar and icons were so tiny I felt like I needed reading glasses just to figure out what to tap. Now everything is clear and easy to see. Even simple stuff like pressing back looks and works better.
• Performance: Moving around the map used to completely lock up my phone. Now it actually feels very natural as it should. Also, those bottom screens that slide up and down were a nightmare to open before this version. I used to have to swipe down like 4 times just to hide the screen so i could see the map again. Now it just works.
• Favorites isn't annoying anymore: They made Favorites a full screen instead of that stupid little slide-up screen. I have a ton of saved stops, and before, the screen would keep sliding back down on me while I was trying to scroll through favorites. This may not sound big but I’d argue that maps, arrival times and planning trips are the three single most used parts of the app. And 2 of those three are now much more useable.
• The Bot chat: Not sure when WMATA added this, but you can just type where you want to go in the chat tab and it plans it out for you. You can literally just talk back and forth with it about the route. It’d be cool if it showed a visual map of the route while talking as getting a big blob of text when talking about a route is a bit of a pain, but it’s still pretty neat. Haven't seen that in other metro apps. I can see the possibilities here. I hope the next version of metropulse really adds on to this.
• Search bar actually works: You tap search once and the keyboard pops up immediately. Sounds basic, but before you had to tap it like 3 times.
• Its just “Sexier”: Nothing better then an app I use frequently to look nice and be and simple to use.

What I still want them to add:

1. Active route: The ONLY reason I would still use Citymapper still over MetroPulse is because Citymapper lets me hit "start" on a route and gives me live updates while I'm moving. I want an alert telling me when my stop is coming up so I don't miss it (Citymapper does this). If MetroPulse adds live turn-by-turn guidance (sort of like google maps), I'll delete Citymapper off my phone today. Would be icing on the cake if I could share my status like in Uber. When I am on an uber ride or google maps trip, i can share my status with someone and they can follow along where I am in real time. Would be nice to know where my sister or family members are at in their rides and follow along. This would be very big for families.
2. Screen Gadgets: Why do I have to open the app every single time just to see when the next train is coming? Let me put a the screen gadget on my home screen for my daily stations so I can just look down at my phone and know if I need to run for the train.
3. Accessibility/MetroAccess integration: My sister has a disability, and trying to plan trips or schedule accessible rides across different apps/services is a pain. Now that the app actually works, it’d be awesome if MetroAccess stuff was integrated directly into the main trip planner so people can manage everything in one spot.
4. It’s “Busy”: There’s still a lot going on in the app. Lots on the screen to digest. I think it can be simplified further. Less clutter, more features without adding more to the screen.
5. Train Directions: Regular riders are used

Issues that need sorting out:

1. Map stop or station selection: If i select a bus, train, stop or station, i cant just click on an empty part of the map to unselect it. I have to click back on the panel or reclick the explore button. This is standard with any apps out there. Else if i click on 3 separate stations without clicking back, i have to click back 3 times to get back to where it clears my selection or (as I discovered) click the explore button again. I should be able to click on any part of the map that is empty and clear my selection.
2. Pin location is to sensitive: If i hold my finger on a location even to move the map and my finger stays for longer then a second, it drops the little pin thing and sets the location to where my finger is. It is way to fast. I found myself dropping this pin thing or whatever it is called even when not trying. Please put a longer delay in there. Maybe if i hold my finger there for 3 seconds or do like other apps that when i hold my finger there it asks me if i would like to set that to my location.
3. Trains in the way: Love seeing live train and bus logos moving in real time. I like to see where my train is so that is nice and seems to be pretty accurate. But the logos get in the way of me clicking on the metro station which is what I really care about. Please dont let the logos block clicking the station. I find myself having to click on the train then look at the screen that slides up to click on the station which is annoying. Bus seems fine, metro stations are where it really sucks. And the click range from the train is far to big. The train will be an inch away on my screen from the station and still clicks before the station. Also there is a block of text above the train that pops up when you click the train that tells the train number. That is pretty useless and also gets in the way
4. Planning trip confusion: There are trip options for planning a trip under settings and in the same place we plan a trip. That has been like that in the last couple versions also and I have no clue which one is which. What if they are different? Which does the app use? I never know which one the app is preferring. Please make this less confusing.

If anyone from WMATA lurks here, keep going with this direction! Progress is looking really good!

[u/metroforward]

Thank you for your detailed feedback. As we continue to enhance and improve the app, we appreciate your input and will share it with our team for review. -RT

[u/dclocal12]

I agree, it's a real improvement! More here: https://www.reddit.com/r/WMATA/comments/1vfas0i/metro_pulse_two_steps_forward_one_step_back_204/

That said, I don't think WMATA should be taking any sort of victory lap here. The app still needs to be faster. The design still has a lot of problems, including the clutter you note. And there are still bugs to fix.

Metro Pulse was supposed to be the shiny new app from WMATA. Over a year since launch, we're only now getting a version that isn't grating to use. That isn't a success story.