# PDX Bus, MAX, Streetcar & WES — Portland Transit arrival times

> Portland public transit real-time arrival times and trip planning. (iPhone/iPad app by Teleportaloo.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdx-bus-max-streetcar-and-wes/id289814055 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Teleportaloo](https://appshunter.io/developer/289814058)
- Category: Travel, Navigation
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.00/5 from 321 App Store ratings · 104 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 12 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2019-02-13
- Data updated: 2026-08-29
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdx-bus-max-streetcar-and-wes/id289814055/reviews.md

## What is PDX Bus, MAX, Streetcar & WES?

PDX Bus is a free award winning application that displays arrival times for public transport in Portland, Oregon. 

PDX Bus won Best in Show at the 2010 CivicApps.org awards.

This app uses the Internet to quickly access TriMet's live tracking data to display arrival times perfectly formatted for the iPhone.  It allows you to bookmark frequently used stops, displays recently accessed stops, and gives details for arrivals which are en-route.

You can enter the stop "id" of the stop (as displayed at each stop or station) or you can browse the routes for the stop.

Feature includes:
- Interactive rail maps, showing the MAX, WES and Streetcar stops.
- Embedded maps, showing locations of stops, and when available, the last known position of the bus or train.
- Use GPS to locate nearby stops or rail stations.
- Browse routes and stops, show an entire route on the map.
- Links to TriMet route information.
- Displays Rider Alerts, and Detours.
- A "Nighttime visibility flasher" - a flashing screen that can be used at night so that drivers can see you.  TriMet suggests holding up a cell phone to make yourself visible to bus drivers.
- Trip Planning - now you can use the same trip planning feature that is available on TriMet's web site.
- Specially formatted text to work with the iPhone 3GS VoiceOver accessibility feature to speak arrivals.
- QR code reader to read codes at bus stops and stations

Route and arrival data provided by permission of TriMet.

Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

Note: this free application was developed as a volunteer effort to provide a service for TriMet riders, the developer has no affiliation with TriMet, or Apple.  Suggestions and feedback are welcome.

## Key features

- Real-time arrival times
- Interactive rail maps
- GPS-enabled nearby stop locator
- Bookmarking favorite stops
- Rider alerts and detours
- Nighttime visibility flasher
- Trip planning functionality

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Buy me a coffee! | $4.99 | one-time |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of PDX Bus, MAX, Streetcar & WES?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Reliable and accurate
- 👍 Helpful features and customization
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Essential for regular TriMet riders
- 🚀 Useful for trip planning

**Cons**

- 🐛 Inaccurate arrival/departure times
- 🔵 Difficult to navigate interface
- 🔵 Cluttered and dense UI
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔵 Illegible color scheme

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Arrival/departure times not syncing correctly
- App crashes or freezes
- Nearby stops feature not functioning properly

**Most requested features**

- Add map functionality
- Improve trip planning and routing
- Introduce widget support
- Enhance ticket/fare purchasing

## Recent user reviews (10 of 104)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdx-bus-max-streetcar-and-wes/id289814055/reviews.md

### 4/5 — GREAT app unless want GPS off

*2026-05-05*

I have used this app for years. I have found it to be excellent. 
Currently have two issues with it, which to my great surprise have never changed.
(1) the app is set up so that it will show buses that have gone past the stop you were looking at, and you do not have the option to not see them.
The best you can do is the minimal setting where it will only show buses that are 10 minutes past your stop.
Since the entire point of the app is to reveal oncoming buses in order to catch them, showing buses that are past is beyond useless and simply frustrating. 
Why do they not amend it so that one at least has the option of not showing buses that I’ve gone past the stop being viewed, at all?! Utterly illogical.

(2) GPS has about four options, but none of them include excluding the use of GPS entirely. One can choose minimally to have it only come on to track the bus when it is at least 1 mile away. 
But one cannot choose to not use it.
This also is illogical. Once the bus is that close, it can often be seen with one’s eyes on approach anyway. 
I prefer to not have my battery drained away, pointlessly giving GPS data about a bunch of things that serves no practical immediate purpose. 
Since there is nothing I can do about where the bus is, simply knowing how many stops away it is is sufficient. 
The additional GPS data about specifically where it is does not help me because I am not a TriMet supervisor. 
Besides, every minute away, it says the buses is a stop away. So it makes some slight mistake mistakes but three minutes away is 3 to 4 stops if “due now” is denoting the upcoming stop or not. 
That right there tells me what the GPS data merely serves to duplicate.
I should have the option of turning it off.
Instead of GPS data being used when the bus is a mile away regardless of if I want it to be used or not. 

Because the app does not give me the freedom to turn these things off completely, and they serve no practical purpose being turned on, I will eventually switch to another app that allows me full control.

### 5/5 — Awesome app

*2026-04-16, version 26.0.1*

Super specific with lots of details

### 5/5 — :3

*2026-02-05, version 26.0.0*

<3

### 1/5 — Waste

*2026-01-15, version 11.5.1*

Big waste of space. I can go on to trimet.org and get a better service.

### 5/5 — So Helpful!

*2025-12-14, version 11.5.1*

Amazing grassroots app; has saved my bacon and let me accurately plan trips (much better than Maps) countless times. Thank you!

### 5/5 — Best transit app EVER

*2025-08-11, version 11.5.0*

I use this all the time, both to see when my bus is due & to plan trips. It has so many useful features and is so easy to use on the fly.  It’s worth more than most apps I pay for!  (Thank you to the developers!)

### 5/5 — Reliable

*2025-08-09, version 11.5.0*

Used it for more than 7 years, never crashes. If arrivals don’t display it’s always a problem on TriMets end. I use the Locate button and it’s a single press to get arrivals, very simple and fast.

### 5/5 — Amazing and super customizable

*2025-07-08*

As someone new to the area and having to rely on multiple PDX apps to get the time table correctly for specific connections that aren’t generated automatically, this app and it’s many customizable options and selections has made mass transit commuting a breeze. 

I love having specific stops saved and the ability to have departure alarms and the live tracking with 60s update intervals where you can see where your bus/tram/streetcar is at on the map.

### 1/5 — Fits the service

*2025-04-16, version 11.4.9*

An app that’s as useless and unreliable as the transit system that birthed it.

### 5/5 — Thank you!

*2025-04-02, version 11.4.9*

I have been regularly using this app since I first downloaded it way back in 2013! Thank you so much to the creator of this! It works so much better than any other transit planning sites or apps.

## Frequently asked questions about PDX Bus, MAX, Streetcar & WES

### What does PDX Bus do?

PDX Bus provides real-time arrival times for public transportation in Portland, Oregon, including buses, MAX, Streetcar, and WES. It helps users find nearby stops, view arrival schedules, and access trip planning features.

### What are the key features of PDX Bus?

Key features include real-time arrival data, interactive maps of rail lines, GPS-based location of nearby stops, the ability to bookmark favorite stops, and access to rider alerts and detours. It also offers a nighttime visibility flasher and trip planning.

### Is PDX Bus free to use?

Yes, PDX Bus is a free application. While the app itself is free, it does have in-app purchases, indicating potential for optional paid features or content.

### What public transit systems does PDX Bus cover?

The app covers public transit services in Portland, Oregon, specifically the bus system, MAX light rail, Portland Streetcar, and WES commuter rail, all operated by TriMet.

### How can PDX Bus help me plan my commute?

PDX Bus offers a trip planning feature that functions similarly to TriMet's website, allowing you to plan your journeys across different transit modes. Combined with real-time arrival information and nearby stop identification, it facilitates efficient commute planning.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 26.1.0 — 2026-08-27

26.1.0 (August 2026)
- Updated maps and tables for shorter Green Line.
- Reworked user interface to use more modern Inset Group style, and used tint for the background.
- Updated Siri feature to allow filtering of routes for arrivals as sometimes there can be many routes at a single stop.
- Fixed issue where searching for the Zoo in the trip planner gives the postal address and not the entrance.
- Fixed QR code processing to process new TriMet QR codes.

### 26.0.1 — 2026-02-09

- Fixed TriMet links (they changed a little!)
- Updated colors for some lines.
- Updated colors for some icons

### 26.0.0 — 2026-01-27

- Updated for iOS 26 - liquid glass support
- Fixed some cell alignment issues.
- Fixed missing route info on detours.
- Huge re-write of user interface architecture to remove bugs, increase code-reuse and improve stability accross the board.
- Added a graphical representation for how full each bus is.
- Updated versioning to use year just like Apple does.

### 11.5.1 — 2025-08-27

- Stability and bug fixes from crash logs.
- Improved responsiveness of the MAX and Streetcar maps.
- Removed Skidmore Fountain MAX Station.
- Clarified help for Apple Watch.
- Added indices for routes and detours.

### 11.5.0 — 2025-07-31

- All new standard icons for a new clean look.
- Stability and bug fixes.
- Added a Tip Jar, as I need more coffee. Leave a tip to support the app. It's made by volunteers using TriMet's public data. No obligation, no additional features, just a way to say thanks. 
- Reworked GPS user interface to be slicker and quicker and better.
- Updated minimum supported iOS version to iOS 15.0, and updated to use modern user interface elements.
- Optimized the way routes are drawn on maps - now it's much, much faster.

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## More apps by Teleportaloo

- [Retro Wanderer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-wanderer/id1238963031)
- [Trail Map Locator](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trail-map-locator/id6743632891)

All apps by Teleportaloo: https://appshunter.io/developer/289814058

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*