Upgraded Transit App Experience for Sonoma County Residents

Sonoma County Transportation Authority, in partnership with Sonoma County Transit, Santa Rosa CityBus, and Petaluma Transit, is upgrading all transit riders in Sonoma County to Transit Royale, the new subscription in Transit, Sonoma County's official trip planning app. Sonoma County riders may have already noticed new access to a free Royale subscription, which unlocks additional features, special Sonoma County branding, new customization options, and complete access to the app across the more than 300 cities supported worldwide.

"Transit Royale gives local riders a better way to track departure times and vehicle locations for all transit services," said Lynda Hopkins, SCTA Chair and Sonoma County Supervisor. "This app makes transit easier and more fun, which will lead to more residents getting out of their cars and using it."

On February 22, riders with the Transit app received a message in the app informing them that Sonoma County Transportation Authority is upgrading them to Transit Royale. All Transit app users will immediately be able to access the subscription's additional features for free. New users will also receive the Transit Royale upgrade and are encouraged to download the app to improve their transit experience.

Transit is available to download free through the App Store and Google Play. With Royale, riders have access to power features such as customizable themes, personalized emojis that allow riders to become celebrities on their local bus line, and leaderboards for users competing to help the most riders with Transit's GO crowdsourcing feature. Transit agencies will use the app to provide rider alerts, detours, and service changes to routes.

"With the Transit app and this no-cost upgrade for Sonoma County transit riders, some of the most frustrating barriers to ridership like transfers and trip planning are eliminated," said SCTA Vice Chair and Cloverdale City Councilmember Melanie Bagby. "We're excited to see how our residents will utilize this app to take advantage of public transportation to get to work, school, and explore our region."

This partnership also unlocks the special ability for riders to switch the app icon and theme to match Sonoma County's branding - offering riders a world-class mobile app experience that is at once universal and locally-branded.

Helpful features of the Transit app include:

• Step-by-step navigation along with walking directions to bus stops
• Subscription to service alerts, including detours for users most frequent routes
• Ability to pin users most used bus routes and quick directions to home or work
• Audio or notification guidance options during trips, including departure alarms, approaching destination alerts, and real-time bus tracker maps
• Trip planning with multiple route and transportation options like biking and walking
• Option to look up directions for when users need to arrive or when they need to depart
• A fun leaderboard feature allowing users to compete for top rider by route

"Since Guillaume and I started Transit almost a decade ago, our mission has been to help people get around without their own car. As the company has grown, we've always put public transit first, working closely with our partners across the industry to bring everything riders need together in one place," said Sam Vermette, CEO of Transit. "By providing free Royale subscriptions to everyone who rides, our partners at Sonoma County Transportation Authority are working hand-in-hand with our team to unlock the best app experience for riders."

About the Sonoma County Transportation Authority:

The Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) was created in 1990 and is governed by a twelve-member Board of Directors representing each of the nine cities. The SCTA plays a leading role in transportation in Sonoma County by securing funds, overseeing project delivery and long-term planning. The SCTA acts as the countywide planning and fund programming agency for transportation related issues.

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