If you’re the type of person who won’t step onto a curb without first checking your phone — and you’re brave enough to navigate Guadalajara’s public transit system — there’s some good news.
The Jalisco Transportation Department has officially completed the first phase of its public transit digitization project, integrating 275 metro-area bus routes into Google Maps. As of this week, users can now look up routes, stops and scheduled timetables directly within the app, making it significantly easier to plan journeys without relying on outdated paper maps or word-of-mouth directions.
This initial rollout relies on the GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) standard, an international format that consolidates static data on routes, stops and schedules. In practice, this means you can now see which bus to take and where it’s supposed to stop.
However, the real game-changer is still on the horizon. The second phase of the project, which is already undergoing testing on select routes, including the Mi Macro Calzada, aims to introduce real-time GPS geolocation. Once fully operational, riders will be able to see exactly where their bus is and how many minutes it will take to reach their stop.
“You’ll start to see where the unit is coming from, and how long it will take to get to the point where you want to catch it in real time,” said Transportation Secretary Diego Monraz. The ultimate goal, he added, is to have the entire fleet trackable within the coming months.
Veteran users of the metro-area bus network might warn newcomers to keep their expectations in check. Actual bus times can vary significantly. Regularity on certain routes remains notoriously patchy, often depending on the traffic, issues with units and the driver’s state of mind. This conundrum won’t be fully solved until live tracking is up and running for every unit.
Along with the Google app, the state government is working on integrating Waze alerts to notify users of road incidents and service disruptions.