The Transit Ombudsman: Get the next bus by text message
You may have used the NextBus Web interface or the phone system at 202-637-7000, but there’s another way to get NextBus arrival times: text message.
Here’s what you do:
- Find your bus route, stop location, direction and stop number here or here and bookmark the page.
- Start composing a text message to 41411.
- In the message area, enter your request in this format:
nbus wmata r[route#] [stop#] Example: nbus wmata r42 1001809
Include spaces between each of the four pieces (nbus, wmata, the r for your route, and the stop number. Don’t include the brackets or a space between the r and the route number. You’ll receive a reply message like this:
r=42 MOUNT PLEASANT
s=Clmba Rd Nw + 18th Nw
d=Nrth->Mt Plsnt Va Adms Mrgn
4&6min
”r” means route; “s” means bus stop location; “d” means direction. “->” means to, “Va” means via. “4&6min” means buses are arriving in 4 and 6 minutes.
The results usually come back within 1 minute. Your carrier may charge you for text messages depending on your plan. NextBus provides more details on using text messaging (also known as SMS).
The reply message will read at the end, “S)ave name.” This lets you save a bus stop with a name that’s easy to remember. You can use the name instead of the stop # in your next request, and omit wmata, too. I saved one like this: s home
Once you have a custom name set up, a request looks just like this:
nbus home
The reply also will read at the end “Rply: 1-30) for alert.” This allows you to request that a text alert be sent to you when your bus is X minutes away. You enter a number from 1 to 30.
However, I couldn’t get this feature to work. Can you? I’m looking into it.
You can use different formats to submit your request:
- Enter the stop without the route #, like this:
nbus wmata 1001809
If more than one route serves your stop, it’ll ask which route you want. - Instead of a bus stop #, enter an address or intersection, using “and” or “&.” In DC, don’t include quadrant.
- Enter a landmark. Some work, some don’t.