NC State University is transitioning its official bus tracking app from TransLoc to Passio GO!, ending a nearly 20-year partnership with TransLoc. To ensure a smooth transition, NC State will keep both apps running simultaneously until September 1.
Connor Jones, transportation manager at North Carolina State University, explained the decision to switch apps, saying the change was influenced in part by Translok's acquisition by Ford Motor Co. in 2018 and Modaxo Corp. in 2022, which led to layoffs and staffing issues.
“During that transition, at least with Wolf Line, Translock was understaffed and didn't have a direct line of communication between them and Wolf Line for about 16 months,” Jones said. “So when any issues arose, they were difficult to resolve because they were understaffed.”
GoRaleigh also ended its partnership with TransLoc last year.
The University issued a request for proposals to explore other options on the market, and Passio GO! emerged as the preferred choice due to several key features.
Jones said one of the big benefits of Passio GO! is its ability to send push notifications for service alerts, a common complaint that causes students to miss important TransLoc alerts. This feature allows NC State Transportation to warn users about major detours and impacts directly to their lock screens.
Another improvement is the ability to view a full day schedule within the app, which Jones said will allow students to plan their trips more efficiently, especially for afternoon classes.
Passio GO! is integrated with Google Maps in real time, providing dynamic updates on bus locations and delays, as opposed to the static schedules provided by TransLoc.
Besides the benefits to Wolfline users, Jones said Passio GO! will provide NC State Transportation with more powerful data collection and analysis tools.
“The additional data we get from Passio, very detailed data, is now helping us with route planning and giving us insight into what's going on in the system that we didn't get with Transloc,” Jones said.
Despite these improvements, student reaction to the new app has been mixed.
Madison Hollingsworth, a sophomore biology major, said she was frustrated with the accuracy of Passio GO!
“It's not as accurate as you'd think,” Hollingsworth said. “The bus will say it's two minutes away, but it's actually more like 17 minutes away.”
Hollingsworth said the app's interface shows duplicate routes and is generally harder to track than TransLoc.
“There are overlaps so you always have to turn off your desired route. [TransLoc]”We can look at all of that and get an idea of where we are and stuff like that,” Hollingsworth said.
Other students, like Allie Honeycutt, a sophomore industrial engineering major, found the transition to be relatively smooth.
“It was a little frustrating at first, but honestly, they're both pretty much the same to me,” Honeycutt said. “I think in basic usage they're very similar.”
Bailey Friedl, a sophomore chemical engineering major, said she liked some aspects of Passio GO! but overall found the app too difficult.
“Sure, the route display is a little better, but I don't think it shows you exactly how to get off the bus and catch the next one,” Friedl said. “Also, the list of times is so long that it's hard to figure out what time you're going to get to your destination.”
NC State University Transportation Agency acknowledged that the new app will have a learning curve. Demar Bonnemer, public affairs manager for NC State University Transportation Agency, said much of the feedback has been about users getting used to the new interface.
“TransLoc is great at giving directions,” Jones said, “so if someone doesn't know what route to take or where to go, TransLoc is really good at getting them there. The app itself, Passio GO!, doesn't have the same level of functionality as TransLoc, but it adds the power of Google Maps and directs you to Google Maps.”
To address any issues or bugs, the app includes an option for users to provide feedback directly to Passio GO!’s development team or to NC State Transportation.
“If you come across a bug or come across a weird or non-working feature, you can go straight to a ticket that goes directly to the Passio development team and explain what's going on,” Jones said.
Bonnemer said this direct feedback is invaluable for troubleshooting.
“The importance of allowing users to send feedback to Passio through the app is [Passio GO! being] “We can provide a lot more information than if the customer told us,” Bonnemer says. “For example, if we know what type of device you're using, that might explain the issue you're having. And if we know what operating system you're using, we can communicate all of that to Passio.”