Riders can share about delays, crowds, or escalator outages on a public transit app new to D.C.

Tbel Abuseridze / Unsplash

There’s a new navigation app in town, and it’s focused specifically on public transit. Pigeon flew into D.C. on Tuesday.

Pigeon claims to offer something other public transit apps don’t: real-time updates by users. Users, called “pigeons,” can report delays, crowds, and unexpected accidents to a shared feed. Reports will also populate a map so riders can see what is going on along their route.

In a blog post, co-founder Laura Rokita wrote that Pigeon began “with an idea: build a crowdsourced transit app that provides better real-time information for riders, by riders, to give people around the world access to accurate transit data.” The app first launched in New York in September 2018 with the help of Google’s experimental lab, Area 120.

Pigeon used the data they collected from New York users to create a report on the New York subway, including information about the dirtiest, hottest and most crowded subway lines. They even rank which subway line is the most grumpy (apparently, there are bad vibes on New York City’s F line).

Pigeon D.C. includes information about Metrorail, Metrobus, the Circulator, D.C. Streetcar, the Virginia Railway Express, and the MARC train, per its website.

Users can add their work and home addresses to establish a commute to work. The app will then provide multiple commute routes with a combinations of train, bus, and other public transit options. Checking the “Nearby” tab will allow you to see how stations close to you are faring in terms of delays or crowds.

There’ a way to earn points, too: Reporting transit conditions could earn a user a spot on Pigeon’s leader board. According to current numbers on the app, there are 864 riders using the app in the D.C.-Baltimore region.

“With Pigeon launched in five new cities across the U.S., we hope to improve commuting for even more public transit riders, as well as build local transit communities that work together to improve their daily rides.” Rokita wrote. Alongside D.C., Pigeon flew into  Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco this week.

So far, the app is only on the Apple store but Pigeon is offering a waitlist for users to be notified when the app is available for Androids. Pigeon told Technical.ly, they expect the Android rollout for early next year.

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