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. On the whole, it's pretty on the mark, but keep in mind that they're people too and mistakes get made sometimes. There is also a slight 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.

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

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 available for vehicles operated by agencies with multiple bases.
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 Seattle-area 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 all applicable licenses from the providing agencies. Transit location data is used under these licenses and is provided by one or more of the following agencies. 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.

Puget Sound

The Open Transit Data terms of use and/or the Open Data terms of use apply. Data are sourced from 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

Northwest Oregon

Data provided by TriMet and Lane Transit District.

Greater Vancouver

Data provided by TransLink.

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

Map imagery © Mapbox, data © OpenStreetMap