Frequently Asked Questions

I ask for new vehicle positions every 15 seconds or so. Note that vehicles don't typically report a new location this often, and it could be a few cycles before a more recent location comes in.
Yes! You can download Pantograph for iOS from the App Store onto any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 11 or later.

An Android version is not planned for the near future. I encourage you to save Pantograph to your home screen as a Progressive Web App.

Source data is provided directly by the agencies. There is a delay, and issues like poor GPS reception could cause innaccuracies.
Those apps are great for when you're standing at a stop, waiting for the next bus on a certain route, and want an estimate of how long it'll be. This can be used for that too, but its strength lies in offering a bird's-eye view of the entire system. I also collect and analyze some geeky transit data that you won't find anywhere else.

OBA will tell you your bus is on time and coming in two minutes, this shows that there are significant delays later in your route.

The vehicle IDs they report do not match the actual IDs on the bus, which are necessary to get make and model information. Instead, I have to manually match IDs to buses when I see them in the field—and I can only spend so much time in Everett!
A trip is a specific "instance" of a route—for example, the 512 that starts from Seattle at 1:23pm.
Routes are served by a specific base, so I infer it based on the last route a vehicle was assigned to. In some cases, a route is served by multiple bases, so I only know that it's at one or the other. This feature is only currently available for vehicles operated by King County Metro or Community Transit.
The best place for this is going to be on Twitter, @Pantograph_App. You can also email me.
Thanks for asking! I have a Patreon, and you can also buy me a coffee. The iPhone app also includes a Pro subscription, unlocking access to an advanced filtering system and custom app icons.

About the Developer

Pantograph is a project of Kona Farry, a transit enthusiast with almost no prior software development experience who just wanted to see all the buses on a map...and got a little carried away.

I'm currently a full-time student in Community, Environment, and Planning at the University of Washington, a part-time event technician for the City of Marysville Parks, Culture, and Recreation department, and an intern in their Community Development department.

Data Attribution

By using this transit data you agree to the Open Transit Data terms of use and/or the Open Data terms of use. Transit location data is used under these licenses and is provided by one or more of the following agencies:

  • King County Metro Transit
  • Sound Transit
  • Community Transit
  • Pierce Transit
  • Intercity Transit
  • Washington State Ferries
  • Seattle Streetcar
  • City of Seattle
  • Everett Transit

I have no affiliation with any of these entities. Data are provided as-is with no guarantee of accuracy. You and you alone assume all risk of use.

Many details about specific coach information come from the Canadian Public Transit Discussion Board Wiki, a wonderful website you should check out.

Map data copyright OpenStreetMap contributers, map view powered by Leaflet.

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